Monster Hunter Destiny
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: Taka is a typical teenager in the village of Mediatas, but has a troubled past and extremely weird powers. He is unlike any other wannabe hunter - except he doesn't want to be a hunter. But in a land torn by war and where monsters can strike at any time, you don't have the leisure of making choices... Rated T for blood, slight language, the usual. Reviews are much appreciated!
1. Taka Enters the War

**Greetings and many great hellos!**

**This is a fanfic that I've been meaning to post on this site for a while. I'm going to post each chapter one at a time, as the fanfic itself is undergoing some minor updates at the moment.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Monster Hunter (although I hope to someday join Capcom and work on the game).**

**Enjoy!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The light of the full moon revealed a village, a village where people ran in panic. A group of wooden houses had caught fire, sending great flames rising up into the sky. The air was filled with the foul stench of burning wood and the snapping of the fire. The flames lit up the area around it, revealing the source of the fire - a huge Leviathan called a Gobul. The massive creature had knocked the houses down, causing them to fall on top of their own fireplaces and burn.

The Gobul, eyes burning with a rage even hotter than the fires, advanced into the village, snapping at the heels of the humans that fled from its wrath. These particular humans needed to be punished. These humans had slaughtered several of its family in the region known as the Wet Rainforest. It had followed the blood dripping from the armor of the hunters that had killed them. Now, the Gobul was able to take its revenge.

Hunting Horns suddenly sounded in the night. The village's hunters had come to defend the villagers against the huge fish-like monster. There were three in total - one was bedecked in Rathalos armor and carried a Great Sword made from Rathian materials. This hunter charged toward the Gobul, yelling a battle cry as he unsheathed the sword. He didn't get far - inflating its back, the Gobul bowled him over, crushing him under its spiny weight.

Another hunter took aim with a Blangonga Bow, firing a single arrow aimed at the Gobul's eye. Catching sight of it in the last second, the Gobul burrowed into the earth and tunnelled deeper into the village.

Erupting out of the ground, the Gobul was shocked to find its progress halted by a ceiling of wood and rock. Growling in frustration, it pounced again, this time crashing through the hard wall. It found itself inside of a human dwelling; looking for a way out, something caught its eye.

It was a human woman, staring at it with a fear so great the Gobul could practically smell it. Her body heaved with contractions - the Leviathan realized that she was about to give birth. The memory of tender human flesh entered its brain, and it licked its chops as it advanced on the helpless mother.

Suddenly, the door crashed to the floor of the building. The Gobul turned to see the hunter with the Great Sword standing in the doorway, with a young girl peeking out from behind his leg. Punctured in several places, and with the Gobul's neurotoxins flowing through his bloodstream, the hunter swung the weapon, shouting angrily as he defended his wife and their soon-to-be-born child. Tricky and light on its fins, the Gobul quickly dodged and retaliated with a snap of its gaping jaws.

Behind the battle, the mother gestured to her daughter, who, hesitating at first with a glance at the monster, ran to her side. "Take your brother to the Elder," the mother whispered urgently, handing her the newborn baby. "Your name is Hydra, after the running water. Run as fast as you can. Run like the water you were named for, before the Gobul notices!" With that, and one last glance at her doomed mother and father, the girl named Hydra ran for the Elder's house as fast as her legs could carry her.

By now, the Gobul had made quick work of the hunter. Tossing his lifeless corpse aside, it continued to advance toward the mother, a fresh scar slashing down its right eye. The woman muttered a prayer to the gods before she was flung into the air and swallowed alive.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Sixteen Years Later...**

Taka watched his sister fight two Ludroth on the beaches of the Idyllic Ocean region. Here in the Central World, which lay between the regions of Moga and Minegarde, one could meet monsters of all shapes and sizes. He clutched his miserable training sword in his hands, meekly looking on as his sister, Hydra, made mincemeat out of the pair with her Yian Garuga Dual Swords, the Raven Tessen.

Sometimes Taka shuddered at the thought of risking his life defending the village of Mediatas from monsters, like the Gobul that he had been told had killed his mother and father practically the moment he was born. However, he knew that it was inevitable that he would someday become a hunter. His village, and most likely his life, depended on it.

There was a war going on in the Central World, and had been going on for hundreds of years. Hunters and monsters clashed frequently, with the hunters usually winning and stepping over the corpses of their victims. Already, many kinds of majestic Elder Dragons and once-common Raptor Wyverns were thought to be extinct. And the many surviving monsters showed no mercy with the humans that had slaughtered so many of their kind.

Taka, soon after he was born, had begun to see that he was very different from the other villagers. One, he was tall, thin, and lightweight. He was also slightly timid, and terrified of the thought of the ferocious monsters that prowled the Central World. However, these differences paled in comparison to the one thing that he had only recently been able to control - he had the power to shapeshift into anything he wished.

No one knew how he had acquired this power. Some said that it was a gift from the gods, others said it was a curse. However, he knew that it was unnatural to an extreme degree, and had never used it since becoming strong enough to control it just under 8 years ago. Before, he had uncontrollably shifted from form to form several times each day.

"Pay attention!" snapped Hydra, gesturing to the two dead Ludroth on the beach. "I offered to bring you along and teach you how to fight a monster, and you're lost in thought. Again!" Shaking her head, she headed into the forest behind Taka, saying over her shoulder, "Let's get back to the village, Taka. I've had enough for one day." Taka, looking back at the water as if a Lagiacrus could come erupting from the surf at any moment, cautiously followed his sister.

Back at Mediatas Village, Taka's one and only home in the Central World, he and Hydra stopped suddenly as they saw a crowd in front of the Village Elder's dwelling. Hydra, as the village's best hunter, quickly parted the crowd as if parting jungle plants in the Wet Rainforest. Taka slipped behind her as the crowd came together again, as if made of water.

In the front of the crowd was not only the Village Elder, but all of Taka's best friends - Illeera, Taahnn, Ryka, Kread, Mylie, and Relcia - as well as his worst adversaries, Kiem and Hornt. "What's going on?" asked Taka nervously. "What has happened?"

His closest companion, Illeera, stepped forward and leaned in close to him. "Nothing's happened," she whispered in his ear. "But the Village Elder has picked us to be Mediatas' next hunters."

-.-.-.-.-.

**This is a much shorter fanfic, I think, than some of my others. But it's completely original (aside from the Monster Hunter theme), and a lot of people seem to like it already! In my opinion, MHD is my best work so far.**

**The next chapter will be coming sometime soon!**

**TRIVIA: Taka's name comes from the name of my archenemy - Taka the Vengeful Gobul.**


	2. Meeting Guan in the Arena Terra

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka stepped back a pace, dumbstruck by Illeera's news. "...What?" he gasped. "We can't... I mean, I can't... Wait..." Hyperventilating now, Taka slowly calmed down, taking deep breaths, before continuing.

"We can't become hunters! We're too young! And anyway, me, a hunter? I'll be killed before I can even get my weapon out!" The Village Elder then gestured for the two friends to join the group standing before her. Taka took a space beside Hornt, who glared at him before looking back at the Elder.

"The nine of you have been chosen as Mediatas Village's next defenders," the Elder began. "The monster threat is growing. There have been at least twenty attacks in the past ten years. Mediatas needs hunters. Not even Hydra, our best defender, can face the attacking beasts alone every time." Hydra, Taka's sister, stepped forward and put her hand encouragingly on Taka's shoulder.

"Pack your bags, children," the Elder continued, voice feebly shaking as he spoke. "You will journey to the Arena Terra, located in the Military Bastion deep in the Barren Desert. There, your trainer, an... acquaintance... of mine, awaits with your first assignment."

The nine teenagers looked nervously at one another. The Village Elder finished in a slightly stronger voice, "Go, future hunters of Mediatas! May your training be successful and your hunts to be remembered forever in legend." With that, he hobbled into his home, closing the door behind him.

-.-.-.-.-.

One hour later, the group was sitting in the back of an Aptonoth-drawn cart with all of their supplies and personal belongings, heading across the harsh Barren Desert. The sun beat relentlessly down on them, making them feel like they were being baked alive. They had all been given Cool Drinks to combat the heat, but even those restorative potions barely protected them.

"I'm going to crush those monsters," boasted Hornt, leaning back with his arms resting confidently behind his head. "None of them will ever know what hit them. BAM! One strike of my weapon and they'll be Uroktor fodder!" Mylie blushed slightly at his words. If every village had someone whose bravery and good looks were admired by all of the opposite gender, then that would be Hornt. Taka loathed him.

"Right," sneered Taka. "You'd probably raise your Ukanlos Hammer against a Barioth - and get your rear end handed to you in a storm of flying ice and snow." Kread laughed and added, "Yeah... And wearing Diablos armor to boot!" The carriage erupted into laughter, with Hornt turning bright red and Mylie patting his arm in sympathy.

"Personally," said Relcia, when the gales had died down, "I'm a little worried about the monsters themselves. I mean, you can have appropriate armor and a good weapon, but isn't even a Yian Kut-Ku twice as long as we are tall?" Taka looked at her for a few seconds, considering her point. Relcia met his gaze and smiled at him. Taka turned away and fiddled with his half-full Cool Drink bottle.

"Oh, I'm sure it won't matter," Hornt broke in, back to his old prideful self. "Bring on the Akantor - Hornt will beat them so badly no one will recognize them!" Taahnn grinned, saying, "Before or after they've mauled you so badly that your grandchildren will have scars?" Kread, Taka, and Kiem all roared with laughter. Ryka, Kread's girlfriend, rested her head on his broad shoulder, grinning as well.

Suddenly, Illeera pointed to something in the distance. "Look! Aren't those Delex?" Everyone turned, and indeed, an entire school of the Piscene Wyverns were leaping through the sand like dolphins, following the cart. "And look!" exclaimed Ryka. "Cephalos and Rhenoplos!" Soon, the group was gazing in wonder at the sheer biodiversity of the so-called Barren Desert.

Kiem said grimly, "Yeah, they're all cool-looking and all, but we're hunters... or soon will be. It's our job to slaughter them." Relcia looked up and gasped. "Kiem! A Rathian! Quick, hide!" Kiem looked up in alarm, only to see a bright, empty blue sky. Relcia began to laugh, followed by everyone else. Now it was Taka's turn to smile at her.

The driver of the cart, which turned out to be Hydra herself, turned to face the group. "I'd recommend you keep your eyes open," she warned. "I've been hearing reports of a Black Tigrex sighted in this region." Everyone instantly shut up and nervously scanned the area. Black Tigrexes were very rare, but incredibly ferocious. They were popularly used in stories to scare small children. If the hunter and hunter wannabes encountered a Black Tigrex, it was guaranteed that only one would get out alive - the Tigrex.

The rest of the journey was spent in dead silence as the Aptonoth plodded on toward the distant Military Bastion. Occasionally, a shadow would fall across the cart and the young warriors would look up instantly, but it was usually only a lone Vespoid or Remobra. One time, they even saw a Nibelsnarf, but it took no notice of them. And there was no sight of any Pseudowyverns.

Finally, the spires of the Military Bastion came into sight and everyone relaxed. Illeera slumped against Taka in pure relief, and Hornt, incredibly, looked disappointed. As the Aptonoth-drawn cart passed the gates, everyone looked around in amazement at the vast walls and watchtowers. Hydra stopped the Aptonoth, then instructed everyone to get out and follow her deeper into the fortress.

-.-.-.-.-.

After another ten minutes of walking, they reached the entrance to the Arena Terra. Their trainer, Bronton, was already there to greet them. Wearing a full set of Uragaan armor and carrying an Agnaktor Lance, he was quite a sight to behold.

"Greetings, trainees!" he bellowed heartily through his heavy helmet. "Welcome to the Arena Terra, where you'll meet, and fight, monsters from the four corners of the Central World!" Bronton then turned to Hydra. "Hydra! It's been too long, my friend." Hydra shook his hand warmly and introduced the nine. The trainer led them all into the vast gates of the Arena Terra, where a lone table sat in the sandy ground, covered in weapons and armor.

"Yes, that is what you think it is, trainees," Bronton said to them. "Pick your armor set and your weapon! You'll be using them soon... today, in fact!" In response, eight of the group rushed toward the selection, followed nervously by Taka.

Soon, everyone was talking cheerily as they tried on armor and picked up each weapon in turn, trying to get a feel for each item. The first to make a final decision was Kiem, who picked a huge Lance, the Rugged Lance, and a set of Blangonga armor. One by one, everyone made their decisions. Illeera selected a Sonic Bow III and Zinogre armor, and Taahnn picked out a Bone armor set and a Basarios Rock, a Hunting Horn.

Hornt, almost instantly, took a Vespoid armor set and the most ferocious-looking Hammer Taka had ever seen. Bronton told them that it was called the Devil's Advocate, made from Deviljho parts. _Typical, _thought Taka. _Hornt picks the biggest weapon of the bunch without a lot of consideration. _When Mylie asked him why he picked the frail Vespoid armor, he replied, puffing his chest out, "I'm strong enough to take down monsters without an armor set - I don't even need this." Taka responded with a small chuckle, then chose a Jhen Mohran Longsword, the Guan Dao, and a set of Qurupeco armor.

Meanwhile, Kread and Ryka had chosen Plesioth and Steel armor, as well as the Siegmund Greatsword and Shadow Saber Sword and Shield, respectively. Relcia, after much thought, finally picked a set of Rathian armor and a pair of Dual Swords, which Taka knew as the Raven Tessen, the same weapon that his sister used. That left the Ludroth armor and the Agnablaster Bowgun for Mylie.

With everyone fully equipped, Hydra picked up the table effortlessly and carried it out of the arena. Bronton left for a moment, and just as Taahnn was about to ask where he had went, he reappeared at the top of the arena, on the parapet running around the circumference. He was effectively blocked off from the arena by a fence of wire. Taka began to get that sinking feeling.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Alright, trainees!" shouted Bronton from his perch. "Starting today, you will train yourselves against specific monsters in this arena. Each monster has been or will be selected for a specific lesson. For today, the lesson is 'Expect the Unexpected'! You'll be fighting a relatively weak wyvern, but don't let that fool you - this little bugger can be quite tricky!" With that, Bronton yanked hard on a lever next to his position, and the large stone gate on the other side of the Arena Terra rose into the air.

From the blackness beyond lurched a large, colorful Bird Wyvern. It screamed once, showing off its blue and green plumage. Taka had seen one of these creatures once - he knew it to be called a Qurupeco. The Qurupeco inflated its bright red throat sac and roared at the hunters-in-training.

At once, Hornt charged it, Hammer held high, yelling at the top of his lungs. The Bird Wyvern instantly saw him and charged as well, bowling him over. It then delivered three direct hits with its blunt beak, knocking the air from his lungs. Rolling his eyes, Kread drew his Greatsword, signalling for the rest to do the same.

"Alright, Guan," muttered Taka to his Longsword. "Let's see what you can do..." The words were barely out of his mouth before the Qurupeco charged at him as well. Dodging frantically, he swung the sword by reflex, slicing the beast's leg. Squawking in pain, the Qurupeco puffed up its throat sac and let loose with several high-pitched yowls. Knowing what the Qurupeco was doing, Taka slashed at its throat sac, but it was too late. Bronton had yanked another lever, allowing several Melynx to scamper into the arena. Taka heard Illeera groan and Kiem curse. At once, the arena was chaos, with the catlike creatures swiping at the warriors, stealing items frequently, and to top it off, the Qurupeco continued to run rampant.

The young friends paired up, able to defend themselves more effectively. Kiem and Taahnn were the next to be attacked, as the Qurupeco slapped Kiem in the face with its tail and savagely pecked Taahnn twice while he turned to help Kiem. Bleeding from his cheek, Taahnn swung his Basarios Rock, bashing the Qurupeco's beak and causing the Bird Wyvern to stumble. As the Qurupeco turned to face the advancing pair of Hornt and Kread, Taahnn took the opportunity to play a note on his Hunting Horn, increasing the agility of his teammates.

Rearing up on one leg, the Qurupeco splatted Kread with a ball of gastric fluid, who barely blocked with his Siegmund. Hornt attacked with his Hammer, the Devil's Advocate, hitting the monster on its wing - not the best target. Hornt realized his mistake when the Qurupeco pecked again at him, hitting him in the chest. From across the Arena Terra, Taka and Illeera heard one of his ribs break.

Illeera drew an arrow from her quiver and instantly released it, piercing the Bird Wyvern's side. Its tail turned bright red as it became more enraged. Taka rushed up to it as it performed a threat display, slashing once, twice, three times at its left wing. On the third hit, he succeeded in snapping the Qurupeco's wing flint off. The Qurupeco turned to look at him, eyes showing its intense anger. Taka hesitated - and was slammed by its wing flints, the sparks catching his armor on fire. "Don't you dare!" screamed Illeera, letting loose with three more arrows, which electrified the Qurupeco as they impacted on its legs.

The Qurupeco had had enough. Rearing up on one leg, it inflated its throat sac and roared deafeningly, scattering the remaining Melynx. Taka, getting up, tried to shut it up, but too late once again; Bronton had heard the roar and, wincing slightly, pulled another lever. Another gate opened up, and from it came the glow of two murderous eyes.

Relcia and Mylie screamed as a fully-grown Rathian flew from behind the cage door. The Rathian struck, diving from the sky and slamming Mylie with her claws. Mylie was thrown back, bleeding from several wounds. "Help!" she shrieked as the Rathian moved to finish her.

Relcia, in vain, sliced at the wyvern's legs with her Dual Swords, trying to distract it. Kiem struck her with his Lance, spearing her in the side and causing a spurt of blood to gush out. The Rathian roared in pain and swatted Kiem aside with her tail. Relcia fell next, victim to the Rathian's infamous venomous backflip. Seeing this, Taka suddenly became angry. He attacked again and again with the Guan Dao, causing the Rathian to retreat, in intense pain from her several bleeding wounds.

Swallowing an Antidote, which she had packed in advance, Relcia slashed at the oncoming Qurupeco with her Raven Tessen, driving it back. A moment too late, and the Bird Wyvern would have caught Taka with another wing flint attack. Nodding to her in thanks, Taka struck the finishing blow, stabbing the Qurupeco in the chest with his Longsword's thrust attack. Wounded fatally, the monster fell with one last squawk.

With the Qurupeco finally down, Bronton sprung into action, driving the incensed Rathian back into her cage. As the thrill of the hunt ebbed away, Taka stared at the Guan Dao in disbelief and horror, unable to take his eyes away from its blood soaked blade. Relcia, gasping for air as the Rathian's poison continued to fade away, turned to him. "You saved me," she said to him in awe. "That's what friends do, isn't it?" Taka replied, tearing his eyes away from his Longsword and looking into her eyes.

The moment was interrupted by Bronton, who insisted that the trainees get some rest as he tended to Mylie and Hornt. Looking back at the two, Taka walked out of the Arena Terra, the memory of the dying Qurupeco haunting him as his friends followed.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Things seem to be getting off to a good start for Taka and co., don't you think?**

**See you soon for the next chapter!**

**TRIVIA: All of Taka's friends' names are actually anagrams of my own friends' names.**


	3. Thunderous Duo

**Here's the next chapter for MHD. This one features a brand-new monster of my own invention! You can check it in my Deviantart account (user: Cm25).**

**So, onto the story!**

-.-.-.-.-.

A crescent moon hung in the sky above the Military Bastion. It was close to midnight, and the lights in the Arena Terra's barracks were still burning bright. The gang, plus Bronton and Hydra, had gathered for a hearty meal, and were delightfully eating and chatting together.

"So, Kiem," started Taahnn. "Have you heard the one about the fisherman, the Lagiacrus, and the bucket of bait?" Taka looked up slightly as Taahnn began the joke. He had spent half the night in silence, contemplating the death of the Qurupeco and simply staring at the dried blood on his Longsword, Guan. That victory hadn't made him feel proud or elated - in fact, he didn't even know what to feel. Bronton, after tending the wounds of Mylie and Hornt, had congratulated him on being the one to kill the first monster. But Taka hadn't wanted to kill it. It had just... happened.

"Dumb luck," snorted Hornt. "If that Qurupeco hadn't caught me off guard, I'd have been the one to have bloodied my weapon." Taka glared in response. Illeera, who sat beside him, retorted, "With whose blood? The Qurupeco's or yours?" Taka managed a small chuckle at this and his face brightened slightly.

Ryka rested her head on Kread's shoulder. "Did you see how bravely he used that Greatsword?" she gushed over him, and kissed him on the cheek. Taka, feeling a little better, pretended to vomit into his soup. Several people laughed at this. Bronton turned to Taka and said, "You know, ... Taka, was it? Well, that Guan Dao of yours, it's kind of coincidental that you chose it." Taka, as well as Illeera and Relcia, turned their heads, their eyes seeming to ask, "Why?"

Bronton took the Longsword from Taka's hands and held it up a little bit so that it caught the light of the candles they had lit. "This weapon... used to be your mother's, my friend." Taka actually flinched with surprise. He had never known that his mother had been a hunter. He had been told of the heroic exploits of his father and his Sieglinde Greatsword, but never his mother and, apparently, the Guan Dao he now owned. Illeera looked at him, something like awe on her face. Relcia simply smiled, as if she knew how he felt.

Taking his weapon from Bronton, Taka stared at it again, seeing it in a whole new light. _My mother used this,_ he thought. _And that means many more monsters met their end at the sharp edge of this blade. _Somehow, he felt sick. He put it away, not wanting to dwell on these feelings.

"Do you think the Qurupeco liked your armor set?" asked Relcia jokingly, laughing a little. Taka laughed as well, then straightened up and raised his spoon to an imaginary enemy. "Hey, Qurupeco!" he exclaimed. "Like my armor set? I made it with the skin of your mother!" The entire table roared at this. Relcia perhaps laughed the hardest, making Taka blush slightly.

Bronton and Hydra both yawned suddenly, getting up from the table. "Alright, trainees," said Bronton, when the gales had subsided. "You should be getting to bed. We've got another big day tommorow, now that you've passed your first test. Tommorow, the training will begin in earnest!" He left, and Hydra followed, saying, "I'm looking forward to seeing you train again, rookies." She then closed the door behind her.

Hornt stretched his arms while yawning loudly. "I don't know about you chumps," he said. "But I need to be well rested for when I dazzle everyone in the arena tommorow." Mylie gazed at him in something like admiration. Taahnn whispered to Taka, "I think Mylie's already dazzled." Grinning, Taka got up and went to the furthest bed from the door. Taking off his armor and placing it neatly on the floor, he crawled in and curled up like a sleeping Leviathan.

As everyone else got in bed as well, Taka, fast asleep, didn't notice Relcia mutter a good-night and blow him a kiss.

* * *

"Welcome back to the Arena Terra, trainees!" shouted Bronton. The group, having eaten a good breakfast and equipped their armor, were standing outside of the main gates into the Arena Terra. "Since today marks the beginning of your official training, we have a few things to go over." With that, the trainer passed out small bundles to each of the young friends.

Unwrapping his, Taka counted two First-Aid Meds, two Rations, and three Stormsender Seeds. Everyone else found the same things in their bundles. "From now on," said Bronton. "I'll be giving you your own items that will be necessary for the day's fight. As time goes on and you become more seasoned, you'll have to find or make these items by yourselves. Understood?"

Everyone nodded as one. "Excellent!" Bronton boomed. "Now, you hunters need to be able to fight on many different kinds of terrain. You'll see that the Arena Terra takes the shape of a different kind of environment than yesterday. This one took me all night. I'm exhausted." Yawning a little, Bronton opened the gates and allowed the group to enter.

Illeera gasped and Kread blinked in surprise. The arena was built into a ruin-like area, with demolished buildings and old artifacts littering the ground. The terrain was rough and uneven, and there were many boulders placed around the arena. The trainees had barely enough time to look around before Bronton threw a lever and one of the cages opened.

With a shrill scream, a hawk-like Bird Wyvern charged out of the darkness, wings flapping. It was a greyish yellow color, with brown feathers covering its head and hip joints. Huge feathers rose from its back, and more feathers were located on the fringes of its wings. Ryka yelled across to Mylie, "What is that thing?" Taka, overhearing this, shouted to her, "I think its called a Bruteon - a monster only found here in the Central World! They like to use Thunder-element attacks, and are powerful enough to prey on Bullfango!"

Taka drew Guan from his sheath, and Kiem readied his Lance. Hornt, who had learned from his earlier mistake, took his Devil's Advocate in hand, but didn't use it just yet. Relcia and Ryka drew their swords, while Mylie loaded Pierce Shots into her Agnablaster.

The Bruteon considered for a moment which hunter looked the biggest threat and decided on Kread. Rising into the air, it rapidly flew forward, kicking out at him with a talon. Before he could block with his Greatsword, Kread was knocked to the ground, a deep slash in his side. Ryka cried out at the sight of his wound, running forward with her Shadow Saber drawn and her shield at the ready. The Bird Wyvern's eyes narrowed at the sight of her running toward it.

Screeching, the Bruteon leapt at Ryka, forcefully bringing its thick beak down toward her. Blocking with her shield, Ryka grunted as the impact jarred her arm and threw her off balance. Another peck narrowly missed and allowed her to make a single slash in the beast's leg with her sword. The Gigginox venom carried in the weapon started to seep into the wound.

Injured, outnumbered, and poisoned, the Bruteon began to fluff up its back feathers. The fluffy edges rubbed against each other, causing static electricity. Small shocks shot out from the feathers, striking Ryka and Kiem, who had been creeping up to attack with his Rugged Lance. Kiem blocked the charge with his great shield he also carried.

The Bird Wyvern wasn't done yet, and turned to Taka. Taka dodged its peck and sliced its side with Guan Dao. He stabbed it in the leg, causing it to topple, then swung his sword upwards, causing another wound. Now the Bruteon was in danger of bleeding to death. However, this came with a downside - all of the poison flowing in its bloodstream emptied, making the Bruteon healthy again.

Hornt, as the Bruteon righted itself, whacked it in the beak with his Hammer. The Bird Wyvern shrieked, then brushed its wings together. The feathers on the edges of its wings rubbed against each other, causing a massive blast of electricity to strike Hornt. The shock was so strong, Hornt was instantly paralyzed.

Chewing a Stormsender Seed, which nullifyed the Thunderblight status she had attained, Ryka attacked again with her sword, but was intercepted by a powerful tail whip, driving the air from her lungs. Relcia took advantage of the distraction and executed a spinning attack with her Raven Tessen, creating multiple slashes in the Bird Wyvern's sides.

Mylie strafed the monster with Pierce Shots, shot from her Bowgun. Reloading, she didn't realize that she was in front of a cage door until Bronton opened it. A second Bruteon flew from it, plowing into Mylie and momentarily stunning her. Taka caught sight of the second monster and shook his head wearily.

The uneven terrain caused Taahnn and Kread, who were trying to run from the first Bruteon, to trip over their own feet. The Bruteon lashed out with its tail, swatting Taahnn aside and leaving Kread vulnerable, his previous wound still bleeding. Relcia saw the Bruteon's beak coming down toward Kread and threw one of her Dual Swords at the creature's head, the bladed edge sticking to it and causing it to shriek in pain. Eyes burning in rage, it released the electric charge that it had built up, causing small lightning bolts to crackle around it.

Kread caught the charge dead-on, and Relcia barely escaped it. Hornt, who had recovered from his paralysis and had attempted to charge the monster, was caught in the blast as well and was thrown back. Taka took the second the Bird Wyvern took to recover and slashed at it twice, ripping its wing membrane. Kiem struck his Lance home, right into the monster's brain.

The second Bruteon, who had been trying to hammer Mylie with its beak, heard its companion's dying screech and instantly ran at Kiem, who didn't raise his shield in time and was struck by the monster's tackle. Taahnn swung his Basarios Rock, catching it on the head and stunning it, causing it to fall. Mylie peppered it with Pierce Shots, causing it to bleed from several dozen minute wounds.

Getting up, the Bruteon shrieked in pain and anger and rose into the air, slashing with its talon. Illeera, who had been trying to keep her distance with her Sonic Bow, was hit in the arm, causing her to scream and drop her Bow. Her arm hung limply at her side, severely cut and red with blood. Angry now, Taka swung his Longsword, slicing the monster's head, then its wing. Ryka jumped in, giving the Bird Wyvern four quick wounds. Now fatally poisoned, the Bruteon fell and writhed in agony. Hornt bashed the Bruteon with the Devil's Advocate, and Taka sliced open its belly, causing its innards to spill onto the arena floor. The Bird Wyvern chirped in pain, then went still.

"Good work!" bellowed Bronton from his high vantage, clapping loudly. Hydra joined in, exclaiming, "That was wonderful! Two Bruteons almost at once! Simply masterful." Taka, dumbstruck, looked at the creature he had, in his anger, blindly slain. The smell of its intestines, now starting to bake in the arena's sunlight, made him gag.

Hydra and Bronton helped Illeera and Kread to their feet and led them away, blood still dripping from their wounds. Relcia approached Taka, resting her arm on his shoulder. "You were amazing with that Longsword," she complimented him. "No surprise - it was your mother's, after all." Taka smiled at the compliment. "You weren't so bad with those Raven Tessen yourself," he said. "That spinning attack you did earlier... Amazing." Relcia smiled also and walked away, pulling her sword out of the dead Bruteon's head.

Soon, everyone had left except Taka. From the exit, he gazed out at the two slain Bruteon. For some reason, he felt pity, which escalated into sadness. His eyes blurred with tears as he thought of the poor creatures, brought to the Arena Terra to be slaughtered by a new generation of hunters. _Why am I thinking this? _Taka asked himself. _I'm going to be a hunter. I shouldn't feel sad for the creatures that I kill. What's happening to me?_

-.-.-.-.-.

**The plot thickens... This is just one more way Taka's different from his friends, I suppose.**

**So, I'll see you all soon for Chapter 4. Here are two words to get you thinking about what happens next - "Brute Wyvern".**

**TRIVIA: Bruteon's name comes from the prefix "bronto-", meaning thunder, and "Buteo", which is the Latin name for a kind of buzzard.**


	4. First Casualties Versus the Brute Wyvern

**I had nothing to do during Media Arts class, so I've updated and published this next chapter. I'm glad we get to use computers during this class - it gives me an opportunity to work on my fanfics.**

**Anywho, we've already seen a Qurupeco, a Rathian, and two Bruteon. What's next? Read on and find out!**

-.-.-.-.-.

It was the early afternoon in the Military Bastion. The group had been given a full day's rest after the hectic Bruteon battle, and were now preparing for a new monster hunt. However, things weren't exactly calm in the barracks as the friends got their items in order. Taahnn and Hornt were fighting, and were almost ready to tear each other apart.

Taka remembered what had happened just a few minutes ago. Hornt had severely criticized Taahnn's Hunting Horn, the Basarios Rock, saying that is was a wimpy weapon that only focused on supporting from the sidelines instead of all-out brawling like his Hammer, the Devil's Advocate.

Taahnn probably would have let it go if it weren't for his next criticizement, which was about his choice of armor. "Bone armor is almost as wimpy as Leather armor," Hornt had said. "It isn't sturdy enough to withstand an attack from a Yian Kut-Ku, and it doesn't even cover your whole body! There are simply too many open spots for monsters to exploit."

It had went on and on, and now Taahnn looked ready to explode with fury. "Excuse me, Hornt, but if you want to criticize someone, let it be yourself. You chose VESPOID armor, for God's sake. One good bite from a monster with sharp enough teeth and you're history!" Hornt swelled up with anger and pride. "Yeah, but I'm so good at this hunting business, I don't even NEED armor. I could take on any monster with my bare hands alone!"

Taka laughed shrilly. "Please! A simple Qurupeco broke one of your ribs, as I recall. I really wouldn't be so cocky!" Hornt turned on Taka, arm reaching for the handle of his weapon. "Stay out of this, wimp, or facing monsters in the arena will be the least of your worries!" Kiem also faced Taka. The Blangonga armor he wore made him look fearsome. "Yeah... What he said!" he yelled, unable to think of anything better to say.

Taahnn thrust his face into Hornt's. "Fine. When you go up against a monster that your Hammer can't defeat, I'll show you how REAL hunting's done!" Mylie leapt to Hornt's defense. "How could you say that?" she said furiously. "Hornt is the best at hunting! He's trained to be a hunter even before we came here!" Illeera silently put a restraining hand on Mylie's shoulder, indicating that she should stay out of the fight.

By now, Taahnn and Hornt were looking daggers at each other. When Bronton walked in, he seemed to look shocked, despite his Uragaan helm covering his face. "Whoa, what's going on here, rookies?" he asked, somewhat concerned. Kread told him, "Hornt made fun of Taahnn's choice of equipment."

Bronton shook his head in disbelief. "That's all? That's what's making him fire up like that?" Taka joined the conversation. "You don't know Taahnn," he cautioned. "A Diablos's temper has nothing on his." Taahnn shouted, "I heard that, you idiot!" Sighing, Taka thought, _Even I could think of better insults._

Hydra, who had been right behind Bronton, suddenly walked in. "Alright, folks. Break it up. Save that cavalier attitude for the monster you're going to be fighting." Growling, Taahnn picked up his Hunting Horn and slung it over his shoulder. Walking out of the door past the two fledged hunters, he left behind a room full of concerned and annoyed faces.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Today's lesson is about strategy," instructed Bronton. "The monster you are about to face uses the environment to its advantage. You have to stop it from using the terrain as much as possible!" With that, he handed out two First-Aid Meds, three Whetstones, and three Antidotes to each trainee. They added them to their already healthy amount of supplies.

Walking into the Arena Terra behind their trainer, the group was shocked to see that the arena had changed again, this time to a peaceful, slightly forested plain. A small river ran the length of the arena, and grass blew softly in the wind that had picked up. "How did you get the arena like this?" asked Illeera, who was the closest behind Bronton. "One hell of a lot of work, sister," he replied.

While Bronton made his way toward his usual perch, the group prepared for battle. Eating a Ration to increase his stamina, Taka made a face at the taste and sharpened Guan Dao with a Whetstone, as it had gotten quite dull from the two earlier fights. Everyone else did the same, more or less - Mylie loaded Flaming ammo into her Agnablaster and Kiem took a Dash Juice, which would ensure endless stamina for a few minutes.

Then, the time for preparing was over, as the gate opened and a huge Brute Wyvern stomped out of its cage. The head crest and plated back gave its identity away - a Barroth. Taka paused. Barroth weren't purple, were they? Then, his heart sank - this was not a true Barroth, but a relative, a Lavender Barroth. Readying Guan, he shouted to his comrades, "Don't let it reach the water! Don't let it step in the river!" Kiem charged with his Rugged Lance held straight in front of him, thrusting it into the Lavender Barroth's side at the last minute. The beast cringed in pain, then focused its attention on Illeera, who was frantically dipping her arrows in Power Coating.

"Illeera! Watch out!" Mylie screamed, and Illeera looked up at the Barroth. It pointed its head at the ground, then barrelled toward her, earth flying everywhere as its head crest dug into the ground as it charged. Illeera, luckily, made it a second before it would have slammed into her. She responded with a flurry of arrows, the Power Coating covering them giving them a stinging edge.

Taka slashed at it with Guan, now at its full sharpness, carving a deep wound in its leg. The Lavender Barroth's nostrils started to steam as it bellowed, the sound making Taka reflexively cover his ears. It turned toward him, then crashed its head into the ground. Taka barely dodged and nearly ran into Kread, who had assumed a defensive stance between the Barroth and the river.

Noticing Kread as well, the Lavender Barroth charged, careening into his Siegmund as it tried to knock him aside. Despite the sheer force of the Barroth's tackle, Kread somehow hung on, pushing with his Greatsword with all of his might, trying to keep the Barroth from reaching the stream behind him.

Relcia slashed again and again at its left leg, hoping to catch it off balance. Ryka tried to aim for the tail, but her Shadow Saber was too short to reach it. Eventually, Kread gave up, loosening his hold on the Siegmund as the Barroth pushed into him with its crest, flinging him to the ground and sending his massive sword flying into the air.

Desperately trying to distract it, Mylie poured Flaming ammo into its legs and flanks, causing great bursts of flame where they struck. But the shots had hardly any effect - Lavender Barroths were resistant to the Fire element. Growling contentedly, the Lavender Barroth rolled onto its back in the water, seeming to almost play in the stream as it rolled over and over.

When it got back up, it was a vastly different creature than before. Its poisonous sweat had mixed with the river water, forming thick armor made of toxic sludge. The Barroth roared triumphantly, knowing that the puny hunters wouldn't be able to pierce its new armor. Now, it swung its tail, catching Relcia in the stomach and flinging her the length of the arena.

Taka's eyes blazed with anger at the sight. Growling almost like the Barroth, he swung his Longsword, slicing through its leg. When it retaliated by swinging its heavy head, he dodged and slashed at the tail, cleaving through the bone and severing it with a loud *Crack!* The Barroth roared in agony, slipping and falling to the ground.

Kread slowly got up in response to the sound of its tail snapping off and drank two of his First-Aid Meds, which began to slowly heal his wounds. Relcia also got up painfully, eating a Ration in order to give her more stamina. The two began to surround the Barroth, joined by Ryka, Taahnn, and Hornt.

Looking back and forth, the Lavender Barroth realized that it was surrounded by sharp weapons. Growling in annoyance, it began to shake its body, making whole sections of its toxic armor fly around it and toward the ground. Everyone scattered as the poisonous residue splatted to the ground. Taka, however, who had tried to attack it again, was caught by a stray blob, which hit him in the back and began to soak into his armor and diffuse into his bloodstream.

Taka started to feel weak as the poison circulated through him. Frantically, he searched for the Antidotes he had in his item pouch. While he did this, the Brute Wyvern noticed him and swung its great head, already imagining the sight of Taka flying limply through the air, bones broken and heart stopped.

However, the Lavender Barroth didn't count on Illeera, who had dipped one of her arrows in Paralysis Coating. The arrow sped directly for the Barroth's eye, but instead hit it in the side of the head. The Paralysis Coating did its work nevertheless, stopping the Barroth's head mid-swing. Taka looked up and saw its shaking body, wracked with spasms as it tried to fight the paralysis. Swallowing the Antidote that he had finally found, he stumbled away from the immobilized Brute Wyvern.

The paralysis wore of quicker than anyone expected - practically as soon as Taka got away from it, the Brute Wyvern recovered and roared in annoyance. Deciding to pursue the one who had got away, it charged toward Taka, its big, heavy head crest barrelling straight for his relatively frail body. Taka rolled out of the way at the last second, ending up on his back. Quickly getting back up, he yelled to Illeera, "Cover me! I have an idea!"

Illeera let loose with electrified arrows while Taka edged around the arena. He gathered Kiem and Taahnn and told them his plan. While Illeera kept the Barroth busy, the trio prepared to strike. Mylie shot a single Clust Shot at its leg, which exploded violently and completely decimated a section of its armor. The Barroth stumbled and bellowed in pain. "NOW!" yelled Taka, and the three charged, weapons at the ready.

Kiem thrust his Rugged Lance, Taahnn swung his Basarios Rock, and Taka swiped with Guan Dao, all at the same spot. The combined might of their weapons broke through the toxic armor covering its right leg, shattering it. The Lavender Barroth was losing its armor rapidly, meaning it was also losing its tricky poison attacks.

The Barroth roared its anger, causing everyone to cringe at the loud noise. Hornt, who had been mostly hanging back in the fight, suddenly charged forward, yelling at the top of his lungs and crazily swinging his Devil's Advocate Hammer. However, Taahnn shoved him aside in order to get a better shot at the Barroth, causing Hornt to trip and fall flat on his face.

Hornt got up painfully. A soft snarl emanated from somewhere above him. He looked up, and with a thrill of fear, saw the angry Barroth standing directly over him. He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to pick up his Hammer as he ran frantically away from the Brute Wyvern. It prepared to strike as he did so.

Taahnn saw this as well. Forgetting their earlier fight, he shouted, "Hornt! Look out!" Hornt turned mid-run to see the Barroth shake more of its armor off, splattering it everywhere. The good news was that it was now out of poison. The bad news was that Hornt got a blob directly in the face. And with his Vespoid armor being incredibly weak to poison, this was a deadly thing indeed.

The poison rapidly seeped through his armor and diffused through his skin, as it had done with Taka. The major difference was that the Vespoid armor he wore sped up the poison's progress dramatically. Before he could even take out an Antidote, his body was overtaken by spasms as the poison continued to flow through his bloodstream.

Now ignoring the helpless Hornt, the Lavender Barroth turned toward Illeera and Mylie; Mylie simply stared in complete horror as Hornt continued to thrash, trying to fight the poison. Illeera shot three arrows, which, unfortunately, all bounced off of its head crest as it charged at them. Illeera was unable to run in time, and Mylie barely even noticed the speeding Brute Wyvern.

Kiem and Kread sprung into action, coming between the Barroth and the helpless girls and raising their weapons, preparing to block the charge. Although the Barroth knocked them back a few feet, and eventually broke through the obstacle, the delay gave Illeera and Mylie enough time to escape.

Mylie glanced back and Hornt and saw that the spasms were becoming less violent as the poison began to shut down Hornt's internal systems. As she heard his faint, rasping breaths, she suddenly became furious. Screaming in rage, she bombarded the Brute Wyvern with Flaming shots, which she had earlier loaded back into her Agnablaster Bowgun. The Barroth's roar of pain became almost a screech as the shots continued to slam into it.

As it continued to roar, Mylie, practically burning with anger, shot three more Flaming shots into its open mouth and down its throat. Flames leapt up and spread inside of the Brute Wyvern's mouth, causing it to scream even louder in agony. Eventually, it collapsed, struggled, then fell still as its life drained away.

* * *

Rage forgotten, Mylie ran to Hornt's side, crouching beside him and feeling his pulse. She felt his heart become slower and slower, then, with growing panic, felt it stop completely. The Lavender Barroth's poison had finally killed him, probably painfully. Taka and the rest of the group looked on in pity as Mylie buried her face in Hornt's chest and began to sob.

"I've never liked Hornt," whispered Taka. "But now that he's finally gone... I don't think he deserved such a slow and painful death." Taahnn, beside him, looked guilt-stricken. "This is all my fault," he rasped, throat dry. "If I hadn't pushed him aside like that - then he'd still be here, perhaps standing over the monster's body." Taka, too, could imagine what Hornt would do now if he was still alive.

Bronton, now in the Arena Terra itself, gently but firmly pulled the crying Mylie from Hornt's lifeless form while Hydra picked him up and carried him away. Illeera ran to Mylie, helping her walk out of the Arena and toward their barracks. Taka sadly glanced once at Relcia, who looked sad as well, then followed.

However, he looked back at the dead Barroth, and felt even sadder. Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought, _The monster didn't deserve such a death either. It could have been running wild and free, instead of held captive here and mercifully killed._ Putting these thoughts out of his mind, he ran to catch up with his friends.

-.-.-.-.-.

**There we have it, Taka's worst enemy is dead. And Hornt's death isn't the last... who will die next?**

**Wait patiently, but you won't have to wait long. The next chapter should be up later today.**

**TRIVIA: The original name for the Lavender Barroth was simply "Toxic Barroth". Its nickname is the Chemist Wyvern.**


	5. Fight with the Living Shadow

**As promised, here's the next chapter of MHD. We have another appearance of a new monster in this chapter, which can be viewed on my Deviantart account (user: Cm25).**

**So, on with the hunt!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Arena Terra hadn't seen action in days, as the trainees were still recovering from the loss of one of their group, the Hammer-wielder Hornt. Even Taka, who loathed Hornt with a passion, felt stricken at his sudden disappearance.

What made him sadder, however, was the deaths of the four monsters that he had fought in the Arena Terra - a Qurupeco, Lavender Barroth, and two Bruteon. Even though Taka knew that he should hate the monsters, as they had been warring with the hunters for hundreds of years, he felt very sad when he remembered them falling to the ground in mortal agony, finally becoming still as death took them.

Taka suddenly looked around. Bronton was gathering the rest of the group for another fight in the arena. He picked up his Longsword, Guan, and hurried out the door, grabbing his item pouch on the way out. It felt a little heavy with its First-Aid Meds, Rations, Antidotes, Whetstones, and other assorted supplies inside of it.

Bronton held the group up as he prepared to brief them on what they would face in the arena. "Today's lesson is about Unstable Environments," he boomed when they were all gathered. "Even when on a simple mission, gathering Herbs or Iron Ore, a large monster can ambush you. This is why I need you to be prepared for anything that I will allow to enter the Arena Terra."

Kread and Ryka looked nervously at each other as Bronton continued. "Your mission is to gather as many Unique Mushrooms as you can. The one who gets the most will win some free supplies - but beware, as after a certain amount of time, I will be releasing a monster into the arena." He then opened the doors into the Arena Terra.

The changes that the arena had undergone were dramatic. It was now a dense forest, with trees and shrubs literally covering the arena floor. They were standing in an open clearing, from which they would venture into the makeshift jungle to gather mushrooms. Taka supposed that it had taken Bronton since the Barroth fight to get this ready for them.

"Go!" yelled Bronton from his usual vantage point. As the arena doors slammed shut behind them, the group scattered and made their way into the trees.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taahnn, Kread, and Kiem stuck together as they searched for the rare fungi. Although they worked independently from one another, they knew that if a monster attacked, they would need to be united in order to stand a larger chance against it.

Kread shouted in surprise as he looked under a fern and discovered a clutch of Unique Mushrooms. Putting the four mushrooms in his pouch, he heard Kiem and Taahnn find some as well. He doubled his efforts, quickly checking each shrub for patches of mushrooms. After five minutes, he had found only one other Unique Mushroom - the rest were common Blue Mushrooms and Exciteshrooms.

Suddenly, he heard Kiem say, "Quiet! I hear something!" Kread and Taahnn became silent, then heard it too - the now-familiar sound of a monster cage opening. The sound was quiet, so the monster was far off and would take time to reach them. Muscles tensing, they continued gathering in silence, prepared to instantly grab their weapons if something attacked them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Relcia and Illeera stopped dead as they heard the cage open a slight distance away. They had foolishly headed to the deepest part of the forest first, knowing that this area would likely have the most mushrooms, and that the others would search the area around the exit first. Now, they realized that this could have been a potentially fatal mistake.

Illeera took out her Bow and dipped four arrows in Paralysis Coating in advance, then continued searching, more stealthily than before. Relcia sharpened her Raven Tessen with a Whetstone and ate a Ration just in case.

Little did they know that, luckily, this preparation was virtually unneeded. The monster wouldn't find them, at least for now. However, this was only because the unknown creature had already picked out another target...

-.-.-.-.-.

The creature stopped. It had heard something rustling the ferns in the clearing up ahead. Instinct took over as it went into stealth mode. Moving with complete silence, it slowly followed the sound. As it neared the small clearing, it lowered its body, blending in almost perfectly with the shrubs that now covered it completely.

Its eyes narrowed. A lone human in strange, spongy armor was busy plucking fungi from underneath a fern. Her back was to it, so the creature could easily see the long weapon she carried. The monster winced as it remembered a weapon that looked almost just like that - it had been used to subdue the monster in the rainforest where it lived, while it struggled in the cleverly disguised trap the hunters had placed.

The wyvern shook its head as if to dispel the painful memories. Instead, a plan formed in its head, a plan that it had used many, many times before against prey, and had always worked perfectly.

It shook its long tail, making a low rattling sound and purposely disturbing the plants around it. It smiled a predator's grin as it saw the human turn around, frightened and curious as she heard the noise. _Soon, _thought the wyvern. _Now all I have to do is wait._

-.-.-.-.-.

Far from the clearing in which the monster stalked, Ryka and Taka continued to quietly gather Unique Mushrooms. Each was cautious, but confident as they counted seven mushrooms each. They didn't know the other's find, so they were both certain that they would win.

_And so far, the monster Bronton released hasn't even shown up,_ thought Taka happily. He knew that for a fact. If the monster was as large as even a Qurupeco, it would have rustled the leaves and stems around them, making quite a bit of noise and alerting them to its presence.

Out of nowhere, the duo froze as they heard a loud *fwssshhhhh*, as if something was flying through the air at a high speed. Then, a shrill scream split the otherwise complete silence, so loud that it made Taka jump. However, the noise wasn't nearly as shocking as the fact that he knew that scream.

"MYLIE!" Ryka shouted, and instantly sprang to her feet, weapon already in hand, and ran in the direction of the sudden noise. Taka did as well, then faltered as he heard a deafening, catlike yowl somewhere near Mylie's attack. He became terribly frightened as he realized that he recognized that sound - he had heard it before, in the Forested Spring a long time ago. He spoke the monster's name in a horrified whisper as it wound its way into his brain - "Nargacuga..."

Taka began to run again, but more cautiously. If he rushed into the fight, blindly crashing through the foliage, then the Nargacuga would instantly know where he was and would strike without mercy. He needed to be like that Pseudowyvern - silent and stealthy.

As he slowed his pace and began to crawl through the dense foliage, he heard the shouts of his comrades as they rushed toward the scene of the crime. He heard the Nargacuga's angry growl as it, too, heard the multitude of people running to help Mylie.

As Taka continued to creep toward the clearing where Mylie and the Nargacuga were, he began to hear the sounds of battle - Kread's grunt as he blocked a swipe from the wyvern, Kiem's shout as the beast barely missed him, Illeera's voice as she angrily shot arrow after arrow at it. Underneath it all, Mylie's screams had become small groans of pain.

Finally, Taka reached the clearing. The Pseudowyvern was everywhere at once, black scales flashing in the sun as it darted this way and that, striking out at one person then suddenly slashing at another. Taka could see Mylie rolling on the ground in pain and covering her face with her hands. Why, he didn't know, but he knew that the Nargacuga was responsible.

Drawing Guan from his sheath strapped to his back, Taka crept out of the foliage, careful not to attract the Nargacuga's attention. Right now, it was busy with Taahnn, trying to strike him with its muscular tail as he dodged and swung his Basarios Rock Hunting Horn again and again. When the Nargacuga finally succeeded in bringing him down with a tail swipe, he simply got up, drank a First-Aid Med to begin healing the new bruise, and played a few notes on his Hunting Horn, increasing his comrades' speed as well as their weapon's physical strength.

The Nargacuga suddenly jumped 180 degrees and forcefully slammed its tail into the earth, nearly striking Illeera as she dunked a few arrows into her Power Coating. As the monster tried to pull its tail out, which had become stuck in the ground, she rapidly fired five arrows, which all hit their mark.

The Nargacuga yelped as the arrows stung it when they hit. It retreated back, then charged forward, creeping quickly on its stomach and tackling Kiem. He just got his shield up in time, then retaliated with a strike from his Rugged Lance. The sharp point pierced its scales and made it shriek in pain.

Eyes beginning to glow red in pure fury, it screeched another bloodcurdling yowl in anger. Taka quickly ran up to it, and as the wyvern turned toward him, he swung Guan twice, slicing through its front leg. The Nargacuga responded with a slice of its own, slashing its razor-edged wing at Taka. He barely escaped the swipe thanks to Taahnn's agility boost, then thrust the Longsword at it, but missed as it jumped back and then leapt to the side, trying to outflank him.

"Come on... Come on..." Taka muttered at the monster as it hissed angrily at him. It charged him, which was too fast for him to dodge. He was sent flying from the Pseudowyvern's tackle, and when he got back up, it was already leaping for him, jaws wide open. He braced for the sharp pain of the beast's teeth cutting into him.

Kread, quickly running for Taka, heaved his mighty Siegmund at the Nargacuga. It slashed its wing, causing the bladed edge to crack and the monster to stop just short of Taka, squealing in pain. Taka instantly ran for the safety of the foliage, drinking a First-Aid Med when he was sure that the Nargacuga's attention was focused somewhere else. Quietly, he waited for his wounds to heal completely.

With a shock, he realized that he was sitting right next to where Mylie lay groaning in pain. She unconsciously moved her hands away from her face in exhaustion, and Taka saw, with a thrill of horror, that one of the Nargacuga's infamous tail spikes had embedded itself in her left eye. Luckily, it didn't seem to have pierced through to her brain. Taka dragged his helpless friend into the ferns next to him and, making sure that she would be safe, returned to the battle, Guan Dao in hand.

When he reached the Nargacuga, it was already in heated battle with Relcia. It struck again and again in its rage, missing each time and getting slashed by Relcia's Raven Tessen. Suddenly, it stumbled and fell to the ground. Relcia instantly raised her blades above her head, triggering their Demonize ability and causing them to glow bright red. Whirling faster and faster, she sliced the Nargacuga again and again with her Dual Swords. To Taka, she seemed to be moving at a superhuman speed.

Abruptly, her stamina wore out and she dropped her Raven Tessen, exhausted and out of energy at the moment. The Nargacuga instantly sprang to its feet, taking advantage of her helpless state and slamming its tail into her side. Relcia flew through the air and was momentarily knocked unconscious as she hit a tree. The wyvern's eyes narrowed, and Taka knew that it was planning to finish her.

Rattling its tail, it snapped it forward, sending three tail spikes flying at Relcia. In spite of a million to one odds, Relcia, at that moment, slumped against the tree, making all three barely miss her. However, one shot through the sleeve of her Rathian armor and pinned it to the tree. Coming to consciousness after a second, she screamed as she saw the Nargacuga leap toward her, muscles tensed in anticipation for the kill.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Taka desperately ran at the Nargacuga, raising his Longsword. As if time was moving slower, he saw himself bring the blade down. The sharp edge, coupled with the weapon's Dragon element and the increased physical strength, succeeded in slicing through the flesh and bone of the Pseudowyvern's tail. With a loud cracking noise, the tail spun off in another direction, blood flying everywhere.

The Nargacuga, aiming directly for Relcia, screeched shrilly as it felt the sharp pain and its tail detach from its body. It spun off course, missing Relcia's tree by a hair and plunging into the ferns. The girl frantically yanked the tail spike out of the tree, freeing her and allowing her to escape. Quickly eating a Ration and washing down with a healing Potion, she retrieved her Raven Tessen and stood ready for battle once more.

Bronton, eagerly watching the fight from the sidelines, had enough. He sprang into action, leaping down into the Arena Terra and literally dragging the moaning Nargacuga into its cage. "Well!" he said in excitement and satisfaction. "You trainees are getting better, much better! Hardly any rookies out there could have fended off a Nargacuga attack!"

He told everyone to wait by the arena's exit while he attended to Mylie, now unconscious from the pain. After handing her over to Hydra, who was waiting with a stretcher, he motioned for the rest to follow him. Closing the arena doors behind him, he led everyone to an airship, docked inside of the Military Bastion's landing area. "Get in," he said to them. "Time for your next assignment."

-.-.-.-.-.

The airship dropped the team off in the middle of the Forested Spring. Bronton explained that they should take this opportunity to gather as many items as they could for use in the Arena Terra. "But remember today's lesson..." he cautioned. "There might be a few large monsters out there looking for a meal!"

Late afternoon found Taka on the edge of the forest, near a huge lake in a clearing. He was picking Herbs, which were the main ingredient in Potions. After he finished picking the last few, he heard a rustling in the shrubbery behind him. Without hesitation, he whirled around and drew Guan. "Show yourself!" he ordered, voice shaking a little bit in fear.

"Relax,Taka." Taka sighed and put away his weapon. It was only Relcia, carrying a handful of Blue Mushrooms. "You didn't think I was a monster, did you?" She smiled teasingly at him. "Oh no," said Taka sarcastically, putting the Herbs he had collected in his item pouch. "I like nothing more than threatening my friends with fearsome weapons." She laughed, the bright, cheery sound making him blush a little.

Relcia became a little bit more serious as she said, "Taka, I wanted to thank you." Taka cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You saved my life twice in the past week. I thought that you deserved a thank-you." Turning away slightly and drawing his leg back, he said modestly, "It was nothing, really. I just did what any friend would have done."

Tears in her eyes, Relcia suddenly rushed forward and hugged Taka tightly. Startled, Taka faltered, then righted himself as he hugged her back (a little cautiously at first). She let go and drew back a step. Taka's face was now glowing brighter than the setting sun.

"Here," Relcia said, suddenly changing the subject. "I found this in the forest. I don't need it, so I thought that you might want it instead." Taka's eyes widened in amazement as she extended a hand. Sitting in her palm was a large mushroom with a glistening red sheen. "A Dragon Toadstool?" he asked in disbelief. "These are extremely rare. Why don't you want it?" She shrugged and replied, "I told you. I don't have any need for such a thing."

Relcia carefully, tenderly in fact, placed it in Taka's hand, brushing his fingertips with hers. He smiled and placed the Dragon Toadstool in his item pouch. Looking out at the sunset over the lake in the Forested Spring, he suddenly felt Relcia's hand creep out to clutch his own.

Taka turned to her and saw that she was smiling. She drew closer to him and wrapped her other arm around him - their faces were now inches apart. He waited with bated breath, staring into her eyes as if hypnotized, and gently put his free arm around her waist.

Just before Relcia closed the short distance between them, Taka suddenly jerked his head toward the forest as a noise rudely pulled him out of his contentment. Something was stirring in the depths. And in his heart, beyond the love he was feeling for Relcia, he knew that this time, it wasn't a friend.

Relcia heard it too. She carefully drew her Dual Swords. The bushes began to rustle and she glanced fearfully at Taka. He didn't move a muscle as he stared, curious as well as frightened, at the moving foliage.

The bushes stopped for a moment - and then a massive, serpentine shape crashed out from them, slithering rapidly towards the two friends. They dove out of the way as it came to a halt. They looked up and saw its proud head silhouetted against the pink-and-orange sky. Taka's heart, which had been in his throat just mere seconds ago, sank down to somewhere near his lower legs. "AGSOLESTEA!" he shouted in terror, as the great white Wyrm opened its fanged mouth and produced a hissing screech that carried for kilometers.

The Agsolestea's frills began to glow as it absorbed the setting sun's rays. It hissed chillingly, then spat a wad of venom at the duo. They ran away just as it splatted against the ground and caused a small bed of flowers to wither and die. Readying his Longsword, Taka suddenly remembered something about Agsolestea in the Forested Spring. _What was it? _he thought frantically, pushing his brain to the limit. _Oh no. It can't be... _He opened his mouth to warn Relcia, when another screech came from deeper in the forest.

This time, a black Agsolestea slithered out of the foliage to join its mate. The two serpents, as one, turned toward Taka and Relcia and screamed loudly. _A Dark Agsolestea... Oh, we are so screwed... _Obviously, it was breeding season, as the Dark Agsolstea would have still been in the Frozen Wastes if it wasn't.

Bronton, who had heard Taka's shout and then the shrieking of the Wyrms, suddenly burst through the foliage and drew his Agnaktor Lance. "Go!" he shouted at the two friends. "Get to the airship - I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Hesitating, then running as fast as they could, Relcia and Taka raced for the clearing where the airship was docked. They heard Bronton's grunt of pain and the Agsolesteas' hiss of triumph. Neither dared look back.

Suddenly, Bronton was there, running with them through the darkening woods. "I couldn't stand against them!" he yelled, in almost as much of a panic as the two teenagers. "They're too strong together! And soon it will be night - the Dark Agsolstea will draw power from the shadows!" The trio heard mad hisses and the cracking of crushed shrubs - the pair of Wyrms were giving chase.

Just before they reached the clearing where the airship waited, Relcia tripped on a plant root. She cried out as she hit the ground. Taka looked back, stopped, and ran back, trying to help her up. He managed to get Relcia up and running in seconds, but in those seconds, the Agsolestea pair caught up to them. The Dark Agsolestea reared up, then plowed its thick body into the ground, just missing the two friends, now running for their lives again. His mate spat a white ball of light energy at them, formed from the sunlight it had absorbed just minutes before.

The projectile slammed into a tree, causing the trunk to fracture and splinter. By now, Taka and Relcia had burst through the vegetation into the clearing. By the airship, Kread and Ryka looked up in surprise - clearly, they had been having a romantic evening of their own. _At least THEY weren't disturbed by two Agsolesteas, _thought Taka jealously. Then the Agsolesteas, eyes glowing green in the increasing darkness, burst through the shrubs as well and continued to pursue the fleeing humans.

Already on the airship, Bronton helped the four friends up over the side, then cut the rope that held it to the ground. The vehicle rose up above the trees, leaving the enraged Wyrms behind. The Dark Agsolestea fired a beam of pure shadow at the airship while the other shot a beam of light. Both barely missed, instead hitting each other and exploding violently. By now, the airship was already heading off, and Taka heard the Agsolesteas' shrieks grow fainter in his ears. Exhausted, he slumped to the deck, asleep even before he hit it.

-.-.-.-.-.

Overall, the mission into the Forested Spring was a success. After the airship had picked up Taahnn, Kiem, and Illeera, Bronton had counted out the great amounts of plants, ore, insects, and even fish that the group had collected. He awarded three Mega Potions each to Ryka and Taka, who had gathered seven Unique Mushrooms during their earlier lesson.

Finally, the airship landed in the Military Bastion. Bronton sent them one by one to wash in the small lake in the middle of the Bastion, then told them to get some much-earned rest. They all hung up their armor and weapons, and instantly were asleep, all except Taka.

Taka, staring up at the ceiling of their barracks, thought for a while. Eventually, his mind settled once again on the Qurupeco that he had killed. In his mind, he heard its squawk as it fell to the ground in mortal pain. Then he thought of the Bruteons, the Lavender Barroth, and the Nargacuga, which hadn't died but had still been severely injured. He felt a pang of guilt when he thought of its tail flying off, severed by his Longsword.

_I shouldn't be thinking this, _Taka thought once again. _I only cut off the wyvern's tail to save Relcia. I didn't mean it any harm... _He blushed a little when he remembered his meeting with Relcia in the Forested Spring.

_Maybe I'll feel a little better tomorrow._ Taka reassured himself. _Maybe I'll stop feeling sorry for the monsters - the things that we're supposed to be at war with._

Little did Taka know that, tomorrow, things wouldn't get better. They'd get far worse.

-.-.-.-.-.

**What'll happen? What monster will the gang face? *Gasp* - who will die, if anyone? You'll have to wait for the answers...**

**A little point to note - we have our first bit of romance between Taka and Relcia. Too bad it was ruined by a pair of giant serpents.**

**See you soon!**

**TRIVIA: Agsolestea is based loosely off of a cottonmouth - a water-loving serpent with an almost luminous mouth, and my absolute favorite animal.**


	6. Reunion with the Vengeful Leviathan

**Whoot, next chapter! And that means a new monster fight! But this one, as hinted in the previous chapter, doesn't go so smoothly...**

**Read on - and be careful, there's quite a bit of blood in this chapter.**

**Kyroshiro: Yes, the Lavender Barroth was indeed an OC monster. Pretty much any monster in this story that you haven't previously heard of is my own invention.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka could barely keep his hands from shaking as the doors to the Arena Terra closed behind him. Not only was he frightened, but, privately, didn't want to cause the deaths of any more monsters. Right now, he could barely see any of his friends through the thick mist.

The new Arena Terra looked like a swamp, with many trees and lots of water. A fog rose from the ground, making it difficult to see. Previously, him and his group had gotten ready in their barracks, stocking Potions, Rations, Waterblock Seeds, Whetstones, and more, trying to prepare for the water monster that their trainer, Bronton, said that they would be fighting. Bronton had only given them a few items, a Frog and a Dash Juice each. "Your trip into the Forested Spring was very successful," he told them. "You should have adequate materials by now."

Mylie was back with the group, Agnablaster loaded with Normal Shots and a patch over her left eye. Last time they had fought a monster in the Arena Terra, Mylie had taken a Nargacuga tail spike to the eye. Luckily, she had lived, but she was now quite crippled with only one eye left to look out for danger. "It's going to be fine," whispered Illeera to Mylie, trying to reassure her. "Hydra wouldn't have allowed you into the Arena Terra if she thought that you weren't ready to fight again."

Relcia approached Taka from behind, swatting him gently on the arm and causing him to flinch. "Best of luck, OK?" she encouraged him, smiling kindly. Taka, remembering his previous encounter with Relcia, blushed and nodded silently.

As Bronton opened the monster cage, which had previously held a Qurupeco, Kiem readied his Rugged Lance, Ryka sharpened her Shadow Saber, and Taahnn played three notes on his Hunting Horn, increasing the group's resistance to heat and cold. _Thank goodness, _thought Taka. _It's getting a little humid in here._

Seconds passed, and nothing sprang out at them. No giant Brute Wyvern charged out of its cage. No terrfying Flying Wyvern flew over them, raining fireballs down. Kiem lowered his Lance, looking around for any signs of monster activity. Taahnn whistled slightly, rocking back and forth on his feet, while Ryka gave Kread a skeptical glance. But Taka... Taka felt something inside of him change. The blood rushed out of his cheeks as he realized that he was terrified. A memory struggled to surface from his brain.

Finally, Taahnn put away his Hunting Horn, convinced that there was no monster in the cage that Bronton had opened. The second he did, the mud under his feet shifted. Then, a massive, fish-like creature rocketed up from the earth, sending Taahnn flying.

Standing on its great fins in the boggy ground was the biggest Gobul that Taka had ever seen. Only one eye glowed with a yellow light - the right eye was milky white, with a scar slashing down across it. The mist, which had been dispelled in the Gobul's attack, rapidly closed in again, partially hiding the great Leviathan from view.

He knew that he should be frightened, but he wasn't - the emotion that he was experiencing was much greater than mere fear. _Why does this Leviathan envoke such terror in me? _wondered Taka, trying not to give in and start running frantically away, as far from the monster as possible. _Why do I feel this way, when I've gone up against monsters far scarier than this creature?_

-.-.-.-.-.

Hydra watched the battle begin from the sidelines, high above the Arena Terra. She also questioned her growing fear as she observed the Gobul in combat with the eight trainees. Something about the Gobul seemed almost... familiar. Coupled with her fear, it was as if... she had met it before.

A memory exploded in her head. She saw herself take Taka from her mother, while her father struggled to stop a huge Gobul from killing them. She saw her father's great Sieglinde Great Sword slice across the monster's eye, creating a fresh scar and half-blinding it. Then, the memory faded, and she was left staring at the fearsome Leviathan, which, she realized, had a similar scar slashing across its eye.

"Taka..." she whispered, fear and realization merging in her heart. "Taka's in grave danger!" Without even bothering to explain herself to Bronton, she rushed toward the staricase that would take her to the entrance of the Arena Terra.

-.-.-.-.-.

The Gobul lunged, snapping its great jaws and narrowly missing the one in the shining, metallic armor. She struck violently with her thin blade, which also missed. Seeing its chance, the Gobul caught her with the end of its tail, sending her to the ground

These humans outnumbered it. It knew that, and yet it had not fallen. This meant that either the Gobul was just lucky, or that the humans were new to hunting. The Gobul grinned savagely, revealing its frightening set of teeth. It literally chewed up and spat out rookie hunters. But it supposed that it would be fun to let them struggle a bit first, before being painfully killed one by one.

But wait! The Gobul had detected a new scent in the air, one that it was sure that it had encountered before. As it sniffed the air, occasionally dodging an attack from one of the hunters, it felt raw fury begin to emerge. Its good eye blazed and its back spines stood up as its rage began to build.

Something moved out of the corner of its eye. The Leviathan turned its head to see a hunter in feathery, colorful armor and a very long blade about to strike. As it moved out of the way, an image surfaced in its mind, slowly becoming clearer through its anger - a human woman, helpless as she gave birth, out of reach of the Gobul as a hunter with a mighty sword sliced its eye, half-blinding it for good.

The Gobul realized that the hunter before it was the son of the human that had maimed it sixteen years ago. Its rage reached its peak, and the Gobul gave a hissing roar as it prepared to take its revenge, right here and now.

-.-.-.-.-.

As the Gobul struck out at Ryka, Taka's fear began to steadily grow. The Gobul with the scarred face was looking away. Taka charged at it, Guan held above his head as he prepared to swing it downwards and slice through the Gobul's hide.

At that moment, the Leviathan turned its great head and moved out of the way of his slash. It's good eye bored into his, burning with the most frightening hatred Taka had ever seen. The memory struggled even harder, trying to bring itself to light. The Gobul roared in pure rage, startling Taka and his comrades with the sheer intensity of it. _The Gobul must be REALLY mad, _figured Taka, trying to stay out of its way as it charged forward and stumbled to the ground. _It's as if the sight of me fills it with anger. It's as if it recognizes me._

Suddenly, the memory that had been struggling to free itself burst in his brain. He saw the frightened face of a young girl, barely seven years old. His vision turned away from the girl, and he saw a fearsome Gobul in heated battle with a hunter in full Rathalos armor. He saw the Gobul roar in pain, a fresh scar across its right eye. Then, the memory faded as the young girl took him in her arms and ran away from the scene.

Taka came into reality just as the Gobul almost bit him in two with its jaws. Stumbling out of the way, Taka raised his Longsword just as the horrid truth slowly invaded his brain, driving out every other thought - this Gobul had killed his parents. This Leviathan wanted to kill him, out of revenge for being so terribly injured nearly sixteen years ago.

He heard the arena doors open. Turning, he saw Hydra running in a panic into the Arena Terra, drawing her Raven Tessen Dual Swords. "Run, Taka!" she screamed. "It means to kill you! Only you!" Hearing this proclamation, Taka's friends, as one, made the same decision - they would protect their friend from the Vengeful Gobul, or die trying.

Kread was the first to act, swinging his Siegemund in a wide arc, carving a great wound in its fin. The Gobul barely noticed it, so great was its fury. All it wanted was to kill the hunter in the feathered armor as payback for what happened to its eye. Illeera fired three electrified arrows at it, which all hit the Vengeful Gobul's left side and stomach. Again, it took absolutely no notice.

The Leviathan sparked its head lantern, then raised its head and produced a great flash of blue light, blinding everyone in the arena except Hydra. Taka struggled to adjust his vision as the Gobul galloped toward him, jaws wide open. The Vengeful Gobul never made it, as Hydra struck with her Raven Tessen, hitting it in its injured fin and causing it to trip from the pain. Blood splattered from the Leviathan's fin as Hydra continually struck, trying to buy time for Taka to flee.

Vision finally clearing, Taka bolted for the open arena doors, hoping to escape the wrath of the Vengeful Gobul. However, he tripped on a rock, falling facefirst into the mud. At this point, the Vengeful Gobul had gotten to its fins and swatted Hydra aside with its tail. Luckily, she wasn't struck by its toxic tail spines.

Illeera and Mylie continued to hit the monster with electric arrows and Normal Shots, trying to distract it for at least another few seconds. It shook the projectiles off like rain as it charged toward Taka once again. Taahnn played another note or two on his Basarios Rock, increasing Taka's agility, along with that of everyone else.

Kiem charged the galloping Gobul, Rugged Lance held directly in front of him. When he reached the Gobul, he stopped and stabbed with the weapon, but too late - the Leviathan, who had never stopped moving, was already ahead. Taka leapt aside as the it forged ahead, finally coming to a stop between him and the exit. "Crap," said Taka in frustration. He stood, Guan at the ready, fully prepared to fight this monstrosity. The fact that it only wanted to destroy him somehow made him very angry.

The Vengeful Gobul turned 180 degrees, sliding slightly on the watery ground. Taka thrust Guan at it, stabbing it in the jaw. Mouth tightening in determination and anger, he swung Guan once, twice, three times, creating more wounds in its neck and chest. The Gobul hissed in pain and lunged suddenly, slamming into Taka and sending him to the ground. Standing over his fallen body, it prepared to finish him.

"TAKA!" shrieked Relcia, too far away to do anything in order to save him. Illeera quickly drew an arrow from her quiver, dipped it in Power Coating, then shot it at the Vengeful Gobul, pulling it back as far as it could go and releasing it. The arrow flew straight and true at nearly 60 miles per hour, slamming into the Vengeful Gobul's underbelly, which had been exposed as it stood over Taka.

About to bite his head off, the Gobul suddenly screamed in intense pain as the arrow pierced its flesh, then its stomach. It fell over in a heap, thrashing as it tried to rid itself of the agony, its blood flying everywhere.

Dazed, Taka struggled to his feet. Relcia, weeping in both fear and relief, ran over and helped him up, just as he had done to her the day before. He tried to walk a few paces, then almost collapsed. The Vengeful Gobul's tackle had badly stunned him. Putting an arm on Relcia's shoulder for support, he slowly got back up and tried to stand.

The Vengeful Gobul abruptly stopped struggling and got to its fins. Its eye narrowed as it saw Illeera readying another arrow. That hunter had tried to stop it from getting its revenge. Now, she would pay dearly.

It released another hissing roar, then burrowed into the ground, heading straight for Illeera. Unable to run in time, Illeera stumbled as it neared her, causing the earth to shift. Its torso suddenly exploded from the mud, and it forcefully sucked air into its lungs, rapidly drawing her forward. As she was literally lifted from the ground by the wind, Taka saw what was happening and threw Guan like a javelin as hard as he could, shouting as he did so.

The Longsword embedded itself in the Gobul's side. Eyes streaming from the pain (both of them), it reflexively snapped its mouth shut. However, Illeera's left leg was already in its mouth, and thus, it was bitten clean off.

The shriek that came from Illeera's mouth was loud enough to break glass. There was a huge amount of blood as she fell, still screaming, into the mud and water below her. Taka, who had already been angry before, suddenly became enraged.

Screeching almost as loudly as Illeera in his fury, Taka ran forward, deaf to Relcia's shout or his sister's scream of shock. Ripping Guan free from the Vengeful Gobul's jaw, he slashed again and again without mercy, causing the Gobul to add its roar to the incredible din.

Thrashing in pain, a strike from the Vengeful Gobul's fin slapped Taka's Guan Dao from his hands, sending it spinning off to embed itself in the mud some distance away. Now without a weapon, Taka, in his burning rage and hatred, did something he promised himself he would never do again - he triggered his power of shapeshifting.

In an instant, Taka had been replaced by a creature known throughout the Central World for its incredible ferocity - a Black Tigrex. The Pseudowyvern roared at the top of its lungs, actually blowing his friends back a little. Taahnn stared in awe and Relcia in terror as the great black wyvern tore at the Vengeful Gobul with its vicious fangs and claws. The Gobul extended its back spines, trying to impale the Tigrex, but it was too fast. It jumped back, then pounced, using its claw to flip the Leviathan over and sink its teeth into its underbelly.

Taka never held up on his assault, not until the Vengeful Gobul finally stopped moving. Roaring in anger and triumph, the Black Tigrex slowly turned back into Taka. By now, Illeera had fallen unconscious from blood loss. Breathing heavily, Taka looked at his friends in confusion as his fury ebbed away. His heart sunk as he realized that he had broken the promise that he had kept for years.

He looked around for Guan, and saw it partially buried in the mud just in front of the Gobul. Numbly, he reached out for his weapon - and saw the supposedly dead Gobul twitch.

Taka froze in utter horror, as the Vengeful Gobul, although fatally wounded, sprang up for once last attempt on Taka's life. Its jaws plunged down, but in its fatigue, they missed his body and clamped down on his outstretched arm instead.

Taka's pain was so great that he barely heard his own scream. He felt the Gobul's fangs rip through his flesh, then crunch through the bone. As he fell backwards, already close to unconsciousness, he saw his lower arm in the Vengeful Gobul's mouth. He heard Hydra calling to Bronton for help and Relcia screaming his name. Then, the world went black...

-.-.-.-.-.

**The suspense builds... Will Taka and Illeera survive their ordeal with the Vengeful Gobul?**

**Stay tuned, and please review!**

**TRIVIA: The Vengeful Gobul is my archenemy. You can fight him as well - just look for a Gobul who never lets up on the attack and who loves flashing his lantern.**


	7. Choose Between Relcia and Rathalos

**Sorry I couldn't get another chapter up yesterday - I was busy playing Pokemon Black + White with my sister :)**

**So, the cliffhanger's done and over with. Time to see what happens next!**

-.-.-.-.-.

A comforting softness pressing against the back. A warm yet thin material covering the front of the body. The panicked whispers of several people. A great pain in the upper left arm, and nothing in the lower left. Mouth dry, yet filled with the aftertaste of a Potion, Taka twitched involuntarily as he slowly woke up.

His eyes fluttered open. He was staring at the ceiling of the barracks in which him and his friends slept. He was in his bed, with a comforting blanket covering him. He slowly, cautiously, turned his head to the side and saw Illeera in the bed next to his. From the look of her, she was still out of it.

Taka carefully sat up slightly. The first thing he noticed was that his friends, as well as Hydra and Bronton, were huddled together, whispering to each other urgently. A lump in his throat, he swallowed reflexively.

The slight sound made the group turn as one. Hydra gasped as she saw her brother suddenly awake, staring at them. Ryka and Mylie both breathed a sigh of relief.

Taka was about to ask what had happened when, out of nowhere, Relcia rushed up to him and hugged him tightly. "I was so worried," she murmured in his ear. "I thought that you - you - " Tears sprung to her eyes as she embraced him again. Taka, redder than a Daimyo Hermitaur, wrapped his arms around her as well.

When she withdrew, Taka tore his eyes away from her face and instead looked at his left arm. His eyes bulged and he let out a squeak. The upper arm was fine - the lower arm was gone, replaced with a thick metallic prong with an opening in the centre, attached by metal plates bolted into the remainder of his arm. "I - I - I..." Taka stuttered in absolute horror. "The Gobul... It didn't..."

"I'm afraid it did, my friend," said Kread sadly. "You killed it, but before it died, it snapped your arm off like a toothpick." Kiem muttered bluntly, "We thought that you were dead by the time we brought you here. There was tons of blood, you see. I didn't think that you had survived that."

Listening to them intently, Taka suddenly remembered something. "Illeera! Is she..." Bronton put a strong hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Taka," the trainer said reassuringly. "She's fine. She lost half of her leg, but we replaced it with a wooden one." Hydra chimed in at this point. "We gave each of you at least twenty Potions each. Not all at once, obviously. You're fully healed, all of your lost blood's been replenished... As well as Illeera's."

Taka slumped in relief, and then slumped even further when he remembered something else. "I... I shapeshifted," he rasped, licking his lips to wet them. "I had promised... It's too unnatural... I let myself down. I couldn't control myself." Ryka, who had been been clutching Kread's arm, suddenly let go and stepped forward emphatically. "You shapeshifted, yes, but for a great cause!" she said forcefully. "If you hadn't, Illeera would be dead, as well as you!"

No matter how much Taka was reassured, he remained ashamed of himself. Finally, he felt strong enough to climb out of bed and walk around the Military Bastion. He grabbed Guan and left his friends alone.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka, numb with all of the shocks that he had received, walked through the Military Bastion alone. He had figured out that he could easily wield Guan by inserting the end of the handle into his wooden arm. Trying to get used to it, he swiped a few times at an imaginary monster while he traversed the great stone walls surrounding the Bastion.

From the top of one, he looked into the great canyon which surrounded the fortress on three sides. Crouching next to the Dragonator button, he imagined a great Lao-Shan Lung or Shen Gaoren approaching the fort, an earthquake accompanying each step. _If only they still existed, _he thought wistfully. _Then I could see the magnificent beasts with my own eyes._

After another hour of walking, during which he mostly gazed out into the Barren Desert from another wall, he decided to return to the barracks for a little rest. Illeera would have definitely woken up at this point, so he thought he might pop in and ask her how she was feeling.

When he reached the barracks, he was about to open the door when he heard Illeera's voice. His heart skipped a beat when he heard Relcia respond. Overwhelmed with curiosity, he pressed an ear to the door and listened in. _I know it's not nice to eavesdrop like this, but..._

What he was about to hear would set in motion the events that would change his life forever.

-.-.-.-.-.

Relcia and Illeera sat in their beds, which were opposite each other, and talked. At first, the conversation was about what had happened in the Arena Terra, as Illeera had no memory of the events just before her injury. Then, when Illeera asked what had happened to Taka, the conversation slowly turned toward him.

"Awww, how sweet," she teased Relcia, when she told him about their meeting in the Forested Spring. When Relcia blushed from both embarrassment and annoyance, she became more serious. "I honestly didn't know that you liked Taka that much. I mean, I knew that you two were good friends, but..."

Relcia blushed even more, suspecting that she was still being teased. "We ARE good friends," she said angrily. "Our relationship won't move anywhere beyond that! I have no interest in him!" She felt guilty about denying her love for Taka, but for some reason, she didn't want anyone to know until she was ready to reveal it.

Suddenly, both girls turned in response to a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob and the sound of running feet. Illeera awkwardly got to her foot and a half and limped toward the door. When she opened it, she turned to Relcia and motioned her forward.

When Relcia got to the door, her heart wilted. She saw the familiar footprints of someone wearing Qurupeco armor, and a single colorful feather. She turned to Illeera, eyes wide with fear, as if she couldn't believe what she had seen and was asking Illeera to tell her that it wasn't real.

Illeera sadly said, "I think you hurt his feelings." On that note, Relcia dropped to her knees and began to quietly cry into her hands.

-.-.-.-.-.

A little ways across the Barren Desert, a Monoblos fed on a bed of cacti. Suddenly, something caught its eye and it looked up. A lone human was running across the sand, wearing some kind of feathered clothing. The dinosaur-like wyvern briefly considered giving chase, but decided against it as he continued off into the distance.

The human in question was, of course, Taka. He took no notice of the fearsome creature as he continued to run. He had no idea where he was running off to. Heartbroken, he only knew that he was going away, away from the Arena Terra, away from his friends, away from Relcia. Finally, his pace slowed.

He stopped to catch his breath near a verdant oasis. On the shore of the water, a massive Plesioth rested in the sun, sunbathing. Its milky eyes watched him closely, until he continued to move away from the Military Bastion. Walking this time, Taka, as before, had no idea where he was headed to.

Continuing to walk deeper into the desert, he passed a great bog, where two Barroths, ordinary ones, where squaring off, fighting over who would get to cool off in the mud first. Taka sullenly walked past them, not even hearing their bellows.

His mind wandered. When it rested on his friends, he grimaced and started to run again at the memory of Relcia. He didn't notice the terrain become less sandy and more rocky. When he finally stopped and looked up, he realized with a thrill of fear where he was.

The first thing he saw was a great volcano, not too far off. He murmured to himself, "Magma Mountain..." Indeed, that terrible place of intense heat and scarce vegetation was where he was. Taka had heard stories of the terrible monsters that roamed the volcano - Stygian Zinogres, Volvidons, Agnaktors, and more. Desperately, he whirled behind him and saw nothing but rocky terrain and the occasional bush. He couldn't see the Barren Desert at all - he was lost in a very harsh place with nothing but ferocious monsters to keep him company.

Cautiously, Taka continued up the slopes, climbing up onto an elevated plain filled with small shrubs and weeds. Not too far away, he saw the plain become barren as the elevation rose to form the sides of the volcano itself. Turning left, he followed the grassy expanse around Magma Mountain. He hoped he wouldn't reach the lake he knew to exist here - then he would have Smoky Gobuls to worry about, and the very thought of those fish-like monsters made his knees weak.

Suddenly, from higher up Magma Mountain, he heard a desperate screech. Taka jumped, prepared to run for his life, when something stopped him. _That shriek..._ he mused. _It sounds almost... frightened. Something must be in trouble! _Unconsciously, Taka began to climb up the slopes of the volcano.

His climbing took him into a small hole in the side of the volcano. Squeezing himself in, he found himself in a vast cavern. It was quite cool inside, and he saw a much larger opening on the other side, which he knew led to the top-most parts of Magma Mountain. However, something made him look away from the exit and to another side of the cave.

With a shock, he saw a Rathalos, King of the Skies, flailing on the ground, clearly injured. Taka's eyes picked out a large gash in its left wing and an ugly wound on its leg, pouring blood onto the ground. Surrounding the Flying Wyvern were a pack of creatures that Taka had thought to be completely extinct - Wroggi. The orange Raptor Wyverns were everywhere, and were accompanied by a huge wyvern. Taka recognized the slimy orange skin and purple throat sac from a picture in a book. It was the leader of the gang of poison, the Great Wroggi.

The Great Wroggi howled, the deep, croaking sound causing the hairs on Taka's neck to stand up. However, through his fright, he felt anger begin to bubble up inside of him. How dare the pack bully the helpless Rathalos? Unsheathing Guan and attaching it to his wooden arm, he started forward as the Great Wroggi puffed up its throat like a frog and exhaled a blast of deadly poisonous gas. The purple cloud enveloped the Rathalos, causing it to choke.

Taka started to run now, jumping in between the pack and the Rathalos. The leader croaked a warning to Taka, telling him to get out of the way, or else. Taka shook his head and shouted, "You're not going to pick on this wyvern any more! Take your gang and leave!"

That was when Taka began to understand the Great Wroggi's howls. He didn't know how, but all of a sudden, the noises began to make sense to him. _Make me, human! _it growled in fury. _My kind is dying out. I must feed my pack with anything I can find!_

At this, Taka dug in his pouch and fished out a big hunk of Aptonoth meat, which he had gathered from a carcass he had found in the Forested Spring. Throwing it in front of the Great Wroggi, he told it, "There's enough meat here for all of you. Leave the Rathalos, for the last time."

The Great Wroggi looked at him quizzically. _You help us, instead of killing us in cold blood like the rest of your species, _it croaked. _You provide us with sustenance, instead of taking it for yourself. You are a fascinating creature, human. Please, keep your knowledge of me and my family secret. _It howled an order to its pack, then loped off into the deeper caverns, followed by its contingent of Wroggi.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka slowly, carefully, fed the Rathalos one of the Antidotes he carried with him. As the Rathalos began to relax as the Raptor Wyvern's poison began to fade, Taka also gave it another slab of meat and a Mega Potion to help heal its wounds. The wyvern looked at him all the while, staring at him with the most intense blue eyes.

_Why do you help monsters? _the Rathalos asked. _You are a hunter - you carry a sword of Jhen Mohran and wear armor of Qurupeco. Why are you so different? _Taka, in response to this, said, "I don't know why I am so different. I have killed monsters before, I admit. But... I regret it. The monsters didn't deserve to die." Tears filled his eyes as his voice shook from anger and sadness. "My kind has been at war with you for centuries. But, I've been wondering why. Why can't we live in peace? Why must we fight?"

The Rathalos continued to gaze at Taka as the healing Antidote and Mega Potion coursed through his system. _The Great Wroggi said that you were a fascinating creature. She spoke the truth. You help monsters, not kill them. You feel pity and sorrow for us. Tell me, human, what is your name?_

"My name is Taka," Taka replied. "I am from Mediatas Village, in the centre of the Central World. I am also a shapeshifter." The Rathalos's eyes widened at this. _You can shapeshift? _he asked in shock. When Taka nodded, the Rathalos went on.

_My name is Vulcan. When I was just a hatchling, my mother told me and my siblings a story that had been passed down for generations. It told the tale of an ancient Elder Dragon who made a prophecy at the beginning of the war - that a human, blessed by the gods with kindness and the power of shapeshifting, would make peace with the entirety of the monster population in the Central World._

Taka looked Vulcan in the eye. "You're insinuating that I am this blessed human. You're saying that it is my job - no, my destiny - to bring peace to the Central World." Vulcan nodded once. Feeling stronger, he struggled to his feet. _Please, _he said. _Please bring the terrible war to an end, even if you have to kill other humans to do it._

Eyes growing dark with anger, Taka said ominously, "You don't have to tell me - I'm fully prepared to do whatever it takes."

-.-.-.-.-.

**And on that cheery note - see you all later!**

**TRIVIA: This chapter was inspired by something that happened to me a year ago, similar to what Taka experienced just before he fled the Military Bastion... heartbreak.**


	8. Best Friends Make Fierce Enemies

**I love the title of this chapter, mostly because it's so true. Of course, I've never had to experience the phrase, if you know what I mean, but it's still a great expression.**

**Speaking of which, we have another OC monster appearance: the Glauxiturn. You can see it in my Deviantart account, under the old, no-longer-used name of "Glauturna".**

**Kyroshiro: I'm not going to give them all monster companions in ****_this_**** story...**

-.-.-.-.-.

Midnight, and all was silent in the Arena Terra, except for two exhausted figures who crouched by the door to a newly-occupied monster cage. The two, Bronton and Hydra, were both slick with sweat, as the newest addition to their collection of captured monsters had put up a heck of a fight. Even before the effect of the Tranq Bombs had worn off, it had almost killed them in its drugged, sleepy state.

"Please," gasped Hydra. "Don't ever make me handle one of those things again. My hearing's only just coming back, and I don't think that wound made by its talons will heal anytime soon." Bronton clapped a hand on her armor-plated back. "Don't worry about it. This Glauxiturn will be our trainees' second big test. And at least this one, thank goodness, doesn't hold a grudge against them."

Hydra smiled, still gasping for air. "I'm... going to rest. Then I'm leaving - I've just heard a rumor that Mediatas Village has been attacked." Bronton's mouth tightened and the edges curved downwards a bit. "Strange...' he muttered. "I did see an unfamiliar monster in the Barren Desert just yesterday. I only caught a glimpse of it, as it was far in the distance, but do you think it actually got into the village?"

"I don't know," said Hydra. "But I'll find out tomorrow." The two hunters then exited the Arena Terra, leaving the arena empty and in complete darkness. Thus, there was no one inside the great structure to see a huge, shadowy figure jump from its perch above and land quietly on the arena floor.

The monster, who had followed Bronton and Hydra inside, crept over to the cage door that they had just locked. Slipping its smallest talon into the lock, it successfully picked it and opened the door. Almost instantly, a half-asleep, bird-like Pseudowyvern jumped out, slipping and landing flat on its feathered face.

Before the Glauxiturn could attack in its confused state, the unknown monster let out a low hiss. _Go. Be free. I will take your place. _The Glauxiturn rotated its head so that it was cocked 180 degrees to the side. _What are you? _it hooted quietly. _Why are you freeing me and sacrificing yourself instead?_

The monster, another Glauxiturn, simply chirped, _It isn't a sacrifice. I do not plan on getting myself killed. Go back to your home in the Idyllic Ocean, and stay away from the hunters. One day, you won't have to worry about them anymore... _The newly-freed Glauxiturn nodded and hooted its thanks, then flapped into the air, barely making any noise as it took off for its home.

The monster left behind silently watched it leave. _I'm glad it was a Glauxiturn, _he thought. _If it wasn't, then I'd have to become something less silent, alerting Bronton and Hydra to my presence_. It glanced at its front left leg. Why his prosthetic arm shapeshifted with him, he didn't know. But it was certainly a useful thing to exploit.

_Those rookie hunters will be in for a shock tomorrow, _Taka laughed to himself. _If they survive._

-.-.-.-.-.

Illeera sat next to Relcia on her bed in the Military Bastion's barracks. Relcia had cried herself to sleep last night, and although no-one else knew why, they didn't ask. Now, Relcia was staring numbly at the Qurupeco feather that she held cupped in her hands. Everyone else had gone to the Arena Terra, waiting for Bronton to open the doors to the arena.

"Come on, Relcia," Illeera said softly. "Taka will be back. You can easily apologize to him then. Now we need to hurry, or else we will be late." Relcia didn't say anything, but reached for her item pouch and Raven Tessen.

When Illeera opened the door, Relcia said hoarsely, "Illeera." When her friend turned around, she said, "I had the worst dream last night. I dreamed that Taka turned into an Elder Dragon - a Fatalis, I think - and tried to kill us all. What if... what if it comes true?" Putting on her Zinogre cap, Illeera walked over to Relcia and gripped her shoulder. "It was only a dream," she assured Relcia. "Taka would never, ever do such a thing, especially not to you."

Strangely, Relcia was privately not convinced. But she nodded and smiled, then both girls walked out to the Arena Terra.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Now, trainees!" bellowed Bronton. "Today I have a great test for you. I have a few things to go over before we start." The muttering friends became silent.

"One, Hydra has left us," the trainer said. "A foreign monster has somehow come to the Central World and attacked Mediatas Village." Everyone gasped in shock. Taahnn cautiously asked, "What was the monster, Bronton?"

Bronton looked very serious indeed. "A monster found only in the mysterious and dangerous Great Frontier region - the Crystalline Dragon, Kuarusepusu." Taahnn and Kiem exchanged confused glances. Ryka, predictably, asked the trainer, "What kind of monster is... Kuarusepusu?" She tried her best with the pronunciation.

"Kuarusepusu is a great Leviathan that, strangely, has been discovered living in dry areas. Not much is known about it, but it uses both sunlight and lightning to help power its strange abilities. It can even burrow through the ground, on occasion."

Bronton paused, then continued. "I don't know how or why it traveled to the Central World. Maybe it was lost, or was simply looking for food. One way or another, Mediatas is bound to have been decimated."

There was a grim silence. Finally, Bronton cheerfully changed the subject. "But let us not worry about Hydra, shall we? I have something here to give you." He handed four Sonic Bombs to each of the group.

"Today's lesson is all about timing. The monster you are about to face is insanely brutal and incredibly speedy. However, there are certain times in which it is vulnerable to the noise produced by your Sonic Bombs. Learn when it is becoming vulnerable, then strike with intense noise and sharp weapons!" With that, Bronton led the group into the Arena Terra.

It was like a grassland, with long, knee-high grass carpeting the entire arena. Bronton made it to his usual spot, then shouted down, "Watch out - this Pseudowyvern is also very quiet! Use your sight, not your ears!" Then, he flicked the lever, and a great, owl-like creature pounced through - a Glauxiturn, the Eyes in the Night itself.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka leapt through the open cage doors, trying his best to act like a Glauxiturn. Luckily, his shapeshifting also gave him the instincts of his current mimicked form, making acting like a monster Jaggi's play.

As the contingent of rookie hunters drew their weapons, Taka stared down his beak at them for a minute, looking at each of them in turn. He had to admit, it would be hard to draw up the will to hurt them, but he had to be convincing, and if he didn't at least seriously injure them, then the monsters of the future Central World would be in danger from the new hunters.

When his bright, yellow eyes rested on Relcia, however, he felt intense rage build up in him. This was the girl that had acted like his friend, acted like she wanted him, then cruelly snapped his heart in two. As his rage built, his eyes automatically glowed red, and his pupils shrunk down to almost nothing. He was now almost blind, but Taka didn't worry - he still had his great hearing.

He screeched, the sound tearing from his lungs and ripping through the very minds of the puny humans cowering below him. Taka then pounced directly at Relcia, talons reaching, aching for the kill.

-.-.-.-.-.

Reacting instantly to the Glauxiturn's attack, Mylie shot a Clust Shot at it, which lodged in its side and then exploded violently, throwing it off to the side with a shriek. As it crashlanded some distance away, Relcia's eyes teared up. The narrow brush with death reminded her of Taka rescuing her from the Nargacuga.

Kiem charged with his Rugged Lance, and Kread heaved his Siegemund at the monster's right foreleg. Neither were quick enough, as the Pseudowyvern jumped aside and then swiped with its spiked tail. Kiem blocked the strike and Kread swung again, this time carving a deep wound in the Glauxiturn's side. A shrill hoot of pain tore through the air.

Ryka quickly jumped in with her poisonous Shadow Saber, but that was also dodged. The great bird-like creature suddenly shrieked, the sound forming a sonic pulse aimed directly at Ryka. She blocked in time, but the impact caused her spine to tingle and her arm to grow numb.

Still raging, the Glauxiturn heard the familiar sound of Relcia's Dual Swords slicing through the air. It aimed a talon swipe in the direction of the noise, but out of nowhere, Illeera threw a Sonic Bomb. The bomb exploded with a shrill sonic tone, tearing through the Glauxiturn's brain. Since it was relying completely on hearing in its enraged state, the Pseudowyvern stumbled at the noise and fell over on its back.

Relcia, Taahnn, and Kread all charged, weapons held high. The Glauxiturn wouldn't be able to react in time, as it was too busy flailing its legs in the air, trying to get to its feet in its panic. However, at the very last second, the Glauxiturn stopped panicking, carefully planted one of its talons in the grass, and flipped itself right-side up. All three attacks missed, and the Glauxiturn knocked all three aside with a tail attack.

Illeera quickly shot three arrows its way, all of which were coated in Sleep Coating. All three hit their mark, the tough back scales of the Pseudowyvern. However, the reaction she got out of the monster was not what she had been expecting.

Usually, three direct hits with sleep-inducing arrows would cause instant unconsciousness. Impossibly, the Glauxiturn struggled, trying to fight off the sedative. Its movements grew sluggish and drowsy as it slowly succumbed to the drug, but still it fought. Kiem realized that this would be the only reaction that they would get, and he repeatedly stabbed the Glauxiturn with his Lance.

The pain snapped the owl-like wyvern out of its drowsiness. It instantly slashed out with a talon, hitting Kiem and flinging him back a few meters. His Blangonga helm was knocked clean off and he scrambled to recover it. As he did so, the Glauxiturn moved to take advantage of his distracted state.

As the Glauxiturn was preparing to deliver a fatal peck, Relcia quickly moved in between Kiem and the still-enraged wyvern. The Glauxiturn paused, as if it were shocked. For a second, it almost seemed to calm down and forget its rage. Then, its eyes began to glow again as it shot sonic blast after sonic blast at her, all of which were, somehow, deflected by swipes of her Raven Tessen.

The wyvern increased its firing speed, causing Relcia to become exhausted. Knowing the end was near, the Glauxiturn stopped its assault and instead released one long, loud screech that blended into a beam of sonics. Relcia was unable to fight the beam, and was blown back, stunned very badly from the sheer noise of the attack.

Instantly, the Glauxiturn was upon her. Its cruel beak seized her by a leg, ripping through the flesh. She screamed almost as loudly as the Pseudowyvern as it shook its head wildly, whipping her back and forth. Bronton himself gasped at the sheer brutality of the monster as it continued. Eventually, something would either be ripped off or snapped like a twig.

Out of nowhere, three arrows sped directly at the Glauxiturn. Once again, all hit their mark, impacting against the Glauxiturn's underbelly. The effect was instantaneous. Already weakened by her earlier sedatives, the Glauxiturn slowly stopped its attack and let go of Relcia, unconscious and losing blood fast, as it crashed to the ground, fast asleep.

Bronton entered at this point. "Illeera, Mylie, take Relcia to her bed. Ryka, send for a medic. I'm going to get this creature into its cage. You've had enough for one day." As the sleeping Pseudowyvern's eyes slowly became yellow and their pupils widened again, Bronton, Kiem, and Kread all dragged it into its pen and securely locked the door.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka woke up very slowly. His eyes were glued together and his entire body felt incredibly weak. His memory ebbed back into his brain, one moment at a time. Still in his Glauxiturn guise, he turned back into himself, exhausted and groggy beyond belief.

Cautiously getting up, he shook badly on his feet, then steadied bit by bit. He reached out for Guan, whom he had buried in the straw covering the cage floor. Sheathing the weapon, he patiently waited to become strong again.

_I lost myself, _Taka thought sleepily. _I was literally blinded by rage. But Relcia got what she deserved. _He continued to think about what his former friends might be doing at this moment. _Pernicious Parnivids, I hope she doesn't die. I'm angry at her, but I don't hate her..._

Taka snapped out of his guilt. _Why am I thinking this? I made a promise to Vulcan - that I'd help the monsters, even if I had to kill anyone in my way._ He shook his head wearily.

Steadily becoming stronger as Illeera's drug wore off, he turned himself into a Nibelsnarf and tried to bite a large hole in the door. When that didn't work, he became a Rajang and tried to smash down the cage door. Even the Pelagus' powerful fists weren't able to beat the door down.

_OK, new plan. _An idea came to mind. He became a small Giggi and shoved his squishy body between the door and the ground. His slimy skin helped with lubrication, allowing him to, with some effort, squeeze out of the cage.

Shapeshifting once again into a Yian Kut-Ku, he took off from a standstill, veering out across the Barren Desert and to Magma Mountain, already looking forward to seeing his only friend again - Vulcan, the injured Rathalos.

_-.-.-.-.-._

_What? _asked Vulcan, in his shock. _I said try to help the monsters, even if you HAD to kill, not go out and actually do it!_

"I had to," said Taka grimly. "If I didn't at least try, then the monsters living in the future Central World would be in danger." Vulcan wasn't convinced. _They're your friends. They're humans, sure. But they are your friends. That would be like me trying to kill others of my kind._

Taka instantly felt guilty. Then an idea came to him. "I heard that my... friends... are journeying to the Frozen Wastes soon. I will go as well and disguise myself as a monster. If, and only if, they strike the first blow, then I will fight. But if they don't, I will let them go..." His voice trailed off as he thought.

Vulcan sighed. _If you must. But please, know that what you are doing is wrong. You are not a barbarian like those other humans - you are peaceful and kind. You must bring peace to the Central World, but not with violence - as the humans say, two wrongs do not make a right._

-.-.-.-.-.

**I'm sure we've all heard that saying a few times in our lives.**

**But let's not get off-topic - Taka's moved against his friends and is trying to kill them. And the only thing you can do is to sit and wait to see how it's going to turn out.**

**TRIVIA: Glauxiturn's name comes from two words - "nocturnal" and "Glaux", the owl god in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole book series.**


	9. Work of the Ice Worm

**Next chapter! Personally, I think the title is EPIC, but that's just my opinion.**

**Grab your coats and scarves - we're heading to the Frozen Wastes!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Frozen Wastes wasn't a place that you wanted to visit at the best of times. Even in the summer, it was frigid enough to freeze almost anything, given time. Its extensive network of caves were home to disgusting Khezu and Gigginox, and the vast snowfields and ice floes were dominated by monsters such as Barioth and Yian Garuga. In the winter, even the toughest monster could easily freeze to death.

Today, the skies were blue and empty, save for a solitary speck in the sky which rapidly grew larger. It was an airship, carrying eight humans - Bronton, Illeera, Kiem, Kread, Ryka, Taahnn, Relcia, and Mylie. They had been assigned another gathering mission, but with a twist - this time, Hot Drinks would be required to help combat the cold.

The first hour or so went by relatively peacefully. There was the occasional scuffle with a Blango pack or a small Lagombi, but that was it. Nothing particularly worrisome for the most part.

Until Kiem, Kread, and Relcia decided to explore the cave networks. That's when hell broke loose.

-.-.-.-.-.

Kread instantly froze (figuratively speaking) when he heard a roar echo from deeper in the caves. Swallowing another gulp of Hot Drink, he tapped Kiem on the shoulder. Kiem turned to him, momentarily abandoning the sizeable stash of Isisium he had mined from the cave walls. "I heard it too," he said testily. "No need to jab me like that."

Relcia, from the other side of the cavern, hissed at them, "Shut up! You'll give us away!" Putting away her Iron Pickaxe and the lone Lightcrystal she had found, Relcia quietly crept in the direction of the noise. Kread, after considering for a moment, followed with one hand grasping the handle of his sheathed Siegmund. Sighing, Kiem reluctantly dragged behind.

The trio cautiously entered a great ice cavern, with beams of sunlight entering through small holes in the ceiling and illuminating the icy walls and floor. Stealthily creeping behind an ice-sheathed boulder, Kread gasped, then quickly clapped a hand to his mouth. Kiem and Relcia, now also hidden behind the rock, simply stared.

A solitary Popo was rearing and bucking in a panic, bellowing at the top of its lungs. The reason for this became apparent very quickly, when the floor suddenly cracked and out from it burst a mighty Leviathan. It was a Glacial Agnaktor, skin covered in thick ice and with a beak that could easily pierce the permanently frozen earth of the Frozen Wastes.

The great beast delivered a fatal peck to the Popo, slicing through its fur and flesh like it was butter. Then it began to feed, beak clacking noisily as it snipped off hunks of meat and swallowed them whole. Ever so slowly, its armor began to melt as it was exposed to the slightly greater temperature of the ice cavern.

Kiem moved over for a better look at the monster, accidentally pushing Relcia over. With a short scream, Relcia hit the ground, now in plain sight of the vicious creature which was not even 10 meters away. The Agnaktor's head snapped to the side, immediately spotting her on the cavern floor. By instinct, Relcia braced for the attack.

It never came. Instead of rushing forward, furious at having been disturbed, the Glacial Agnaktor simply tilted its head to the side, as if waiting to see what Relcia would do. It looked positively curious at her sudden appearance. She slowly got to her feet, all the while gazing at it in terrified fascination.

The Agnaktor snapped its beak a few times, the loud clacking echoing in the cavern. Relcia jumped back at the sudden noise, then cautiously took a pace forward. The monster did as well. Behind the boulder, Kread's eyes widened and Kiem readied his Rugged Lance, just in case.

Looking directly into the Glacial Agnaktor's eyes, Relcia took another step. Completely calm and almost fascinated, the Leviathan bent its massive head until its sharp beak was almost touching her. The girl extended a hand, hypnotized. The Agnaktor didn't move at all.

Kread brought a hand to his mouth, completely stunned at what was going on in front of him. Kiem, on the other hand, tensed up, waiting for the monster to be distracted enough so that he could strike. "Come on..." he kept muttering under his breath. "Just give me an opening..."

Relcia didn't hear any of this. Her concentration was riveted entirely on the great Leviathan in front of her. _It's almost... nice. _she thought. _This creature is so different from the monsters I've met so far. This Agnaktor seems genuinely kind towards me. _She looked into its deep blue eyes and was reminded of dear Taka. That was when she finally made contact with the Glacial Agnaktor, brushing her hand against its ice-sheathed beak.

The monster's eyes closed in contentment, as did Relcia's - and that was when Kiem saw his chance. With a mighty yell, he charged, Lance held in front of him. Before anyone could react, he had stabbed the Agnaktor in the chest. Instead of a scream of pain and a spurt of blood, there was a clang, and Kiem's Rugged Lance bounced off of its still-frozen armor.

Relcia saw the monster's eyes snap open. With a thrill of terror, she saw that the soft kindness was gone, replaced with intense fury. A piercing shriek ripped through the chilly air as the Glacial Agnaktor became enraged. Kiem fell to the ground, shocked by both the impact of his weapon on the Leviathan's hide and the loud roar.

The monster swept its head toward Kiem, the point of its beak nicking him on the leg and easily ripping through the flesh. Kiem cried out in pain and Kread swung his Great Sword - but was swatted by the Agnaktor's tail as it finished its head sweep and snapped its tail back behind it. Relcia recovered from her shock and prepared to do battle, readying her Raven Tessen, trying not to slip on the ice, now slick with blood.

The rest of the group, who had by now reached the caverns as well, had heard the incredible din and were now just arriving. Bronton quickly took note of the situation and drew his own Lance, made from the beak of an ordinary Agnaktor. He knew that the weapon's Fire element would make the beast's armor melt that much faster.

Mylie had also gotten that idea, loading more Flaming shots into her Agnablaster and firing away. The Glacial Agnaktor instantly felt the burning pain and slammed its head into the ground. The sharpness of its beak allowed it to bury its head in the ice, and when it started twisting like a drill, it effectively burrowed into the never-melting earth.

The ground shook as the Glacial Agnaktor resurfaced, spinning into the air and almost impaling Taahnn on its beak. Then it shook again as it landed on its feet, causing several people to stumble. The Agnaktor took its chance, aiming its broad side at Ryka and sliding forward rapidly, crashing into her and sending her flying with several broken ribs.

Kread gave a shout of anger at the sight of this, heaving his massive Rathalos sword and smashing it into the Leviathan's side. If it weren't for the Fire element of the blade, then it would have bounced off without making a scratch. However, the fiery edge of the Great Sword cleaved through the ice, causing the Glacial Agnaktor to scream in pain as the blade did the same to its scales.

Taahnn bashed the monster on the head with his Basarios Rock, following up with a musical note that made the strength of his comrades' weapons increase. Wincing, the Agnaktor noisily clacked its beak and let loose with a watery beam from its mouth, smashing Illeera (who was standing on the sidelines, trying to get out her Power Coating) with a high-pressure wave of water.

Shivering madly, Illeera shot a volley of electrically charged arrows at the beast, which were deflected by a swing of its still-frozen tail. Then, sliding on its belly, it slammed into her before she could even blink. Luckily, its sharp beak missed her and she was hit by its body instead. Even more luckily, nothing was broken in the impact - however, Ileera was stunned badly with the blow.

As the Glacial Agnaktor pulled up in order to halt its slide, Relcia took advantage of its preoccupation and slashed madly with her Dual Swords. It instantly swung its head back and shot a blast of water at her, which plowed into her and chilling her to the bone. As she hit the ground, Kread took another swing with his Siegmund. The blow would have been very effective if Taahnn hadn't accidentally bumped into him as he slipped on the wet ice. The sword careened to the side and began to fall toward the downed Relcia.

There was almost no time to react, and yet someone reacted - the Agnaktor itself. It quickly turned around, using the slippery ice to its advantage, then slid toward Kread almost desperately. The resulting impact was so great, it send Kread siding into the far wall and knocking him out for a second, as well as sending the Great Sword away from Relcia. She got up in a panic and backed away, looking at her savior in both terror and awe.

The Leviathan's eyes turned wrathful. Screaming in rage, it kept sliding, crashing into the wall beside Kread. Stunned for a moment, the beast shook its head while Kread, terrified, got up and tried to retrieve his blade. The Agnaktor recovered almost immediately and slashed at him with a claw. Its plan went horribly wrong, as it ended up whacking the Siegmund right toward Kread's feet.

When Kread successfully retrieved his weapon, the Agnaktor began to rage again, stomping its feet and clacking its beak menacingly. With a screech, it brought its ultra-sharp beak down on him, which was thankfully blocked by Kread and his sword. Undaunted, the monster continued to slam its head into the raised Siegmund, ignoring the burning strikes from Bronton's Lance.

Normally, the sword would have been powerful enough to withstand multiple bites from the fangs of a Barioth, as long as Kread's endurance held out long enough. However, even the cutting fangs of the most feared monster of the Frozen Wastes couldn't compare to the fearsome beak of the Glacial Agnaktor. You see, the beak is specially designed to cut through the thick, icy ground which never melted. Coupled with the ice it was often covered in, the beak of this Leviathan could peck through even metal with enough effort.

Thus, after only four pecks, the Rathalos-scale sword was pierced through. The Leviathan's powerful beak sliced clean through the weapon, and the momentum carried the deadly point straight through Kread's chest. With a single gasp, he died almost instantly.

Ryka's reaction was instantaneous. She released a scream almost as shrill as the Agnaktor's as she charged, swinging her Shadow Saber in a blind rage. The Leviathan's mood changed from furious to almost scared. It backed away, shaking its head and making little squawking noises of protest. In the midst of this frenzy of action, only Relcia noticed that it kept glancing at Kread's body with regret in its eyes.

Just before Ryka reached it, the Glacial Agnaktor burrowed into the ground. Everyone braced for the attack from below. It never came. The ground never shook, the ice and snow never shifted. The monster had gone and made its narrow escape.

-.-.-.-.-.

Cleaving through the frozen earth like a blade through water and surrounded by the cracking and shattering of ice all around it, Taka fled the scene of the crime, tears welling in his eyes. _Why? _he wondered painfully. _Why did I allow myself to become so consumed with rage? It was an honest mistake, but... Relcia could have died! Kread should have been more careful! _He swallowed hard as he tried to fight back his renewed anger.

One thing was for sure - Taka had changed, and possibly for the worse. More easily driven into fury, more comfortable with his shapeshifting ability, and prepared to murder in order to help Vulcan and the other monsters that were counting on him... Yes, Taka had definitely become a formidable enemy to his former friends. It was almost as if their friendship had been forgotten, if not for Taka's constant battles between his new personality and his inner feelings.

Surfacing from the ground, Taka saw that he was almost at the edge of the Frozen Wastes. With a shriek, he almost instantaneously became a Yian Garuga, one of the Central World's nastier creatures. The immense, raven-like Bird Wyvern took off and headed for the Magma Mountain, eager to get to Vulcan so he could spill out his feelings. Vulcan always made him feel better when the two of them talked.

-.-.-.-.-.

Ryka sobbed and sobbed, a literal river of tears flowing onto the ground. The remaining gang had gathered in their barracks in the Military Bastion after the disastrous episode in the Frozen Wastes. Ryka's rage had become stoic seriousness on the journey back, followed by complete and utter melancholia when they arrived home.

Relcia was in a melancholia of her own. Again and again, the image of the fearful Leviathan backing away from Kread's body flashed through her brain. Only she realized that the monster had regretted its choice. _Why? _she asked herself again and again. _Why did this monster regret killing a human, when countless others do it without even thinking?_

As Taahnn and Mylie awkwardly tried to comfort Ryka and Kiem looked on, not knowing what to do, Illeera tapped her foot on the ground almost impatiently. She had seen the Agnaktor save Relcia earlier, sliding on the ice almost desperately. When Relcia had told her of her earlier encounter with the beast, Illeera had begun to suspect something. _No, _she thought determinedly. _I refuse to believe this. There's no way that he could be doing this to us._

"Ryka, please calm down," said Relcia. "The monster didn't mean to kill your boyfriend. It was only trying to protect me-" And then Ryka instantly flew into a rage. "PROTECT you?! You, a human?! I've never heard such blasphemy in my life! That monster's a murderer, and it's going to pay for what it did to Kread!" Ryka actually picked up her Shadow Saber and started for the door.

"Please!" Relcia pleaded to her. "It thought I was in danger... Kread's Great Sword... Didn't know it was an accident..." Her words tumbled out of her mouth in short chunks as she began to cry as well. It took Taahnn, Illeera, and Kiem to restrain Ryka from storming out the door in a frenzied fury.

"Don't you all see what she's doing?" Ryka growled to the rest. "She's defending the creature that tried to kill us. We're hunters, not monster-lovers. She's a traitor to our village, indeed, our very species!" Illeera shook her head violently. "No, Ryka." she said firmly. "You're letting your rage get the better of you. You're better than that. You're right, we're hunters. Kread's death was practically inevitable - it's an occupational hazard." Everyone nodded at this.

Secretly, Illeera was agreeing with Relcia. _Maybe the monsters are different than we originally thought. Unless... I'm probably wrong, but I'm sure that the reason the Glacial Agnaktor showed such affection toward Relcia, and such regret over the death of Kread, is because that it was Taka. And if it was Taka, then have we created a monster ourselves?_

-.-.-.-.-.

**You'll have to wait a little longer to find out what happens next... Just look at you all, squirming from the suspense XD**

**Reviews are nice. Please do so!**

**TRIVIA: I originally called this beast the Jet Agnaktor. Now, it's confirmed as being called the Glacial Agnaktor. Which do you like better?**


	10. Vulcan vs the Yellow Slime Wyvern

**I'm not going to spoil anything that happens in this chapter, except (drum roll, please) - a new monster! This one is called the Sulfurous Brachydios, and he's just as deadly as the name suggests...**

**On with the show!**

-.-.-.-.-.

The Zinogre was dragged, howling deafeningly, into its cage by a tired Bronton, huffing and puffing in his thick Uragaan armor. The Fanged Wyvern had been the subject of another training exercise, and it had just escaped death when the trainer decided enough was enough. Just before then, the still-enraged Ryka was about to sink her poisonous Sword and Shield into its eye.

Everyone was exhausted after the battle with the speedy, acrobatic wolf. Illeera had finally run out of arrows and needed to get more from Bronton. Taahnn's lips were sore from playing endlessly on his Basarios Rock, trying to increase his friends' agility to the Zinogre's level. Kiem's right arm ached badly after continuous blocking with his massive shield. The others were in slightly better shape.

So far, almost all of them had been severely injured or killed since first arriving at the Military Bastion and the Arena Terra. Hornt and Kread had been fatally wounded, Mylie had been permanently half-blinded, Relcia had attained severe damage to one of her legs, and Illeera's leg had been bitten clean off and replaced with a metal prosthetic limb. Taka was nowhere to be found after he had gotten his arm bitten off as well.

Now, in the barracks that they shared, everyone contemplated about the adventures and losses they had in the Arena Terra. It was almost silent, but at the same time, everyone's heads were buzzing.

Illeera had perhaps the most disturbing thoughts of all of them. Recently, she had begun to suspect that Taka, a shapeshifter, had been trying to kill them in the guise of various monsters. She pondered endlessly; _The Glauxiturn that became so furious at the sight of Relcia, who broke Taka's heart not a day before... The Glacial Agnaktor, which had rescued her from an accidental attack by Kread, and speared him through the heart in mindless rage... What about the Zinogre? Was that creature Taka as well?_

She got up without a word and headed for the now-empty Arena Terra. _Only one way to find out, _she thought grimly._I must inspect the Jinouga's holding pen, even if that mighty Fanged Wyvern is still inside._

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka spilled out more of his feelings to his friend Vulcan, an injured Rathalos that he had rescued days before. Yesterday, he had come to Vulcan after he had blindly murdered Kread and cried his heart out. Vulcan had been most helpful, saying that it was a tragic accident and that yes, even monsters, the most honorable of creautres, do terrible things out of rage.

Now, after posing as a Zinogre in the Arena Terra, Taka told Vulcan more. "They're my friends," he said numbly, tears pouring onto the ground below him. "And Relcia... She's even more than a friend to me. Why am I still doing this? What good could come out of murdering my only friends?"

Vulcan growled softly, trying to soothe him. _Remember, I asked you the same once. You told me that they will soon be hunters - beings that would threaten the existence of monsters all over the Central World. Are you telling me that you will go back on that? Will you neglect the safety of monsters in order to protect your friends?_

The Qurupeco-feather-clad being raised his tear-streaked face and looked Vulcan in the eye. "Of course not. I love monsters, but... I love my friends even more. You understand? Did you once, or still do, feel the same?"

_Not anymore... _Vulcan mumbled. _Hunters took my friends one by one... And then my mate and children. I wanted to kill every single human being that lived. But then I calmed down. I remembered the prophecy made by the Elder Dragon, now long dead, and told myself that peace was the answer. But yes, I do understand what you mean. If I still had friends, they would come before anything... even me._

"But I'm your friend, Vulcan," Taka said hoarsely. "You don't have to think of long-lost companions anymore. You have a new companion. A new friend." The corners of the great wyvern's mouth tweaked upwards in a smile. _You are right, Taka. We are friends - friends until, no, even after death. And together, we will find a way to end this ridiculous war. We will end it peacefully. _The wyvern tossed its head impatiently. _But enough with this depressing talk. Why not help me practice flying now that my injuries have healed significantly?_

-.-.-.-.-.

Stealthily closing the doors behind her, Illeera entered the Arena Terra. Bronton was nowhere to be found. The arena had been modeled into a grassland, with a small pool of water and a single tree with vibrant pink flowers garnishing it. The Zinogre's cage, she knew, was straight ahead. And with a shock, she realized that is was wide open.

Unconsciously, she braced for an attack. Then she remembered that if there was going to be an attack, it would have come already. Calming down, she jogged the length of the arena and carefully, cautiously, entered the dark cave-like pen. Straw covered the floor, which would provide mild comfort for whichever monster was being held.

_Now, where should I start looking? _Illeera wondered. As she poked around in the cage, the only things that she found were scraps of meat, probably from an unlucky Gargwa, and bits of fur that the Zinogre had shed while in its pen. _Was I wrong? Was the Fanged Wyvern we fought just an ordinary Zinogre?_

Suddenly, something caught her eye. Sticking out from underneath some straw in the far corner, it was vibrant and colorful, standing out from the dark, dank inside of the cage. Pushing pack the straw, Illeera saw with grim satisfaction that it was a Qurupeco feather. _So it WAS Taka. One of these days, he's going to regret choosing that particular armor set._

Illeera, job done, walked back out of the arena, wondering what to do. She couldn't simply look for Taka, as a shapeshifter like him could have easily gotten away from the Central World by now. However, when she took a closer look at the ground, she saw the faint imprints of great, clawed footprints leading away from the Arena Terra and into the Barren Desert. With a satisfied smile, Illeera began to follow them.

-.-.-.-.-.

Luckily, Illeera's journey across the Barren Desert was uneventful and relatively safe. No particularly troublesome monsters bothered her. Eventually, her travels took her to the Magma Mountain, and the Zinogre footprints she was following vanished altogether as the terrain became less sandy.

_Why would anyone go to the Magma Mountain? _Illeera asked herself. It's a good place to avoid hunters, that's for sure - but the dreadful amounts of ferocious monsters surely overbalance that plus. Abrubtly, a shriek sounded from higher up the volcano and she nearly jumped out of her armor.

As Illeera explored, she pondered endlessly. Where in this inhospitable place would Taka be? She maintained a firm grip on her Sonic Bow III and readied an arrow, which she had gotten a stock of just before coming here. Eventually, she came to a huge lake. Illeera's heart skipped a beat as she saw a clump of colorful feathers attached to a shrub. But she was destined to be disappointed - they were bright red and blue instead of green and blue, indicating the presence of a Crimson Qurupeco, not the individual she was after.

Finally, she summoned up her courage as she decided to explore the extensive caverns of the volcano. As she climbed Magma Mountain's rocky slopes, she heard another shriek, the same as the one she had heard earlier. Entering the nearest cave, she followed the sound, which seemed to grow more frequent. She instantly froze when she heard a familiar voice accompany the screeching.

Peeking around a cavern wall, Illeera immediately pulled her head back behind it. In the next cavern was a flying Rathalos, and standing near it, giving instructions, was her dear friend Taka. She cautiously peeked at the duo again.

The Rathalos suddenly crashed to the ground, squawking in pain. Illeera saw that it had a huge gash in its wing, one that looked like it had recently healed. "Come on!" shouted Taka encouragingly. "You were in the air for at least six seconds, that has to be a new record." The Flying Wyvern growled at him as it got up painfully. "Oh, Vulcan," Taka admonished, then astonishingly; "No need to be so sarcastic."

Illeera barely stifled a gasp. _He can UNDERSTAND the wyvern?_ she thought through her shock. _When did this happen? Is he becoming a monster himself?_ She brushed off this last question. It didn't matter if Taka had been born a Deviljho; he was still her friend.

She poked her head out a little more - and then instantly regretted it. The bright blue and white of her Zinogre cap stood out like a sore thumb against the drab grey cave walls, and Taka spotted her nearly the instant she did so. His reaction was immediate - he became a Volvidon, complete with the red shell and long tongue.

Apparently, Taka could still speak human while in monster form, as his growl came out loud and clear to Illeera. "What are you doing here?" he said furiously. "If you've come with the others to kill my friend, you're going to regret it!" Illeera stepped out from behind the wall, shaking her head furiously. "No, I'm alone!" she cried out. "I've only come to find you - everyone's been very worried about you!"

"You expect me to believe that?!" Taka exclaimed angrily. "Kiem's never liked me, Ryka's livid about me killing Kread, and I doubt Relcia's ever even thought about me ever since I left!"

It became clear to Illeera now. Taka was changing because of his built-up anger with his friends. For sixteen years, he had not once become angry with them, no matter what happened. But now, it seemed to be too much for him to hold in any longer, and was pouring out in a storm of vengeance and hatred.

"Taka, please come to your senses!" Illeera cried. "I know that everyone's a little upset, but we're your friends! We all care very much about you and want you back with us again!" The Rathalos, which had been standing on the sidelines, suddenly shrieked at Taka. "I know that, Vulcan!" he growled at the wyvern. "But they need to pay for everything they've done to me!" With that, he curled into a ball and rocketed forward at llleera, full speed ahead.

She quickly jumped out of the way, then fired three arrows in rapid succession. They impacted on Taka's underbelly, which had become exposed after he misjudged his roll and ended up on his back. Roaring in pain at the electrical projectiles, he flipped right-side up again and spat a huge wad of paralyzing saliva at Illeera. It hit her dead-on, immobilizing her, allowing Taka to roll rapidly away, towards the Barren Desert.

Illeera never expected what happened next to actually happen; the Rathalos kicked at her with a talon, freeing her from the paralysis. When she got up, she said, "You don't like what's happening any more than I do, don't you." The Flying Wyvern nodded and growled softly. Illeera didn't need to speak its language to understand. "Let's go after him." Climbing onto his back, Illeera and the Rathalos flew after Taka in hot pursuit.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka, still in his armadillo-like form, came to a halt in the midst of a stand of nearly dead, parched trees. He looked behind him and saw... nothing. _Thank goodness,_ Taka thought, keeping even his thoughts to a whisper. _I was bluffing, of course... But I don't want to be tempted to actually hurt her._

A shadow passed over him. Looking up, Taka saw with a thrill of both anxiety and happiness that it was Vulcan, limping through the air on his damaged wing, with Illeera perched on his back. "Damn it..." Taka said to himself, then made a speedy escape, rolling across the sandy waste more quickly than a fired Sub Shot.

So preoccupied was he that he never noticed the great Brute Wyvern closing in on the strangers to its territory, prepared to pummel them to the ground with its mighty fists...

-.-.-.-.-.

When Vulcan landed, Illeera immediately jumped off and tried giving chase to the escaping Taka, but it was no good - he was already nearly gone. "I hope he listens to his feelings and comes back," she murmured to her wyvern companion. "If not... I don't know what I'd do without him..." A tear rolled down her cheek and the Rathalos gently butted her with its head, trying to soothe her.

Suddenly, there was a deafening roar in the distance, echoing across the desert. The Rathalos that Taka had called Vulcan bared his fearsome teeth and growled deep in his throat. Illeera paused - she recognized that roar. All she knew about it was that it belonged to a deep blue Brute Wyvern that inhabited areas with extreme temperatures. Then, all of a sudden, she saw it appear on the near horizon.

The wyvern wasn't blue at all, as it turned out - it was a bright yellow. However, the slime coating its arms and horn certainly was blue, standing out immensely against its garish hide. Illeera, falling into a deep sense of terror, breathed its name; "Brachydios... The Sulfurous Brachydios..."

Moving with surprising speed, the Sulfurous Brachydios reached the girl and wyvern in no time, blue slime glistening in the sunlight. Swallowing a Cool Drink, Illeera dunked an arrow in Paralysis Coating. _Wow, _she thought._This Paralysis Coating is becoming something like my main strategy or something._

The Brute Wyvern lunged, slamming its massive fist onto the ground and discharging a puddle of slime. Illeera knew to watch out for the slime - soon, it would gradually go from blue to green, yellow, orange, and finally red, before exploding violently.

Dodging another fist attack, she fired her waiting arrow, instantly paralyzing the Brachydios. She began pelting it with arrows, sending countless electric shocks coursing through its body. Able to move again, the Brachydios jumped forward, jabbing its horn into the ground. Illeera barely got out of the way before a chain of explosions erupted in front of the monster.

Vulcan had seen enough. Roaring at the top of his lungs, he flew up and slammed the Brute Wyvern with his talons. Against a human, this would have been enough to pin him or her down, but all it did was cause a wound to open up in the Bracchidios's side.

Screaming in pain and anger, the Sulfurous Brachydios's slime became as yellow as its scales. It furiously began hitting the ground repeatedly, trying to demolish Illeera. A huge explosion occurred with each strike, and Illeera just barely got out of the way of each one. As the Brachydios ground to a halt, two more explosions rocked the ground as the puddles lying around finally detonated.

Even more explosions appeared as Vulcan rose into the air and spat three fireballs at the Brute Wyvern, which all crashed into it and created great bursts of flame. However, the Brachydios's heat-resistant hide blocked out the worst of the blasts.

The Sulfurous Brachydios reared up, bringing its arms up to its mouth and inhaling deeply. Vulcan narrowed his fearsome eyes, burning with determination, while Illeera's heart sank as realization dawned in it...

Swinging its arms down, the Brachydios exhaled a huge burst of yellowish dust, which flew rapidly toward the wyvern and hunter. Both knew that if they breathed in the cloud of sulphur, they would become badly intoxicated and, eventually, painfully suffocate.

Flapping his wings, Vulcan blew the cloud back at the monster. It screamed again in rage as the dust coated its hide, giving it a gritty texture. As it moved, small amounts blew off into the wind. Now it was even more dangerous - with explosive slime and now poisonous skin. It roared once, then charged forward, swinging its fists wildly...

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka heard the sounds of battle echoing across the Barren Desert. As he looked up from the oasis from which he drank, he swore he could see small explosions in the distance, throwing up massive amounts of sand and fire. _Oh God,_ he thought, slowly realizing what kind of trouble Vulcan and Illeera were in. _Not a Sulfurous Brachydios. Even a Black Tigrex would be better._

He made up his mind then and there. He was angry, yes. His friends had caused great emotional damage to him - but wait. That wasn't right. Taka remembered that it was Relcia's denial, and the denial alone, that had driven him to such a blind fury. No one else was at fault but Relcia and - Myself. No, that isn't right either. Only I am to blame for such childish - no, monstrous - behaviour.

Assuming the form of a Nibelsnarf, he silently swam through the grainy sand, towards the site of battle. Before long, he heard Illeera's shouts and Vulcan's roars. Diving under the sand so that only his eyes and nostrils poked above the surface, he continued on, more cautiously this time.

When he saw the great Brute Wyvern, he stopped for a minute. He had forgotten how terrifying the monster looked. And seeing it in action was even more spine-tingling. Shaking his colossal head, he dispelled his fear. Illeera and Vulcan needed him, and he was determined to set things right again.

The Brute Wyvern charged, swinging its slimy fists and roaring madly. Then, Taka decided the moment was right. With a great squeal, he erupted out of the sand, monstrous jaws wide open. The Sulfurous Brachydios barely had time to glance his way in shock before he clamped down with a huge crunching noise.

_AAARRRGGGGHHH! _screamed the Brachydios, eyes rolling from the sheer pain of the bite. Taka felt his teeth punch through its armored hide - then tasted the sulphurous dust that coated the creature's skin, and knew that he had made a fatal mistake. He instantly released his grip, squealing and growling in pain as the sulphur burned his mouth and throat.

_Let this be a lesson to you, sand worm! _roared the great Brute Wyvern, bleeding profusely from several dozen punctures. Drawing his arm back, it slammed its explosive-covered fist into the Leviathan's colorful stomach. There was a huge explosion and a searing flare of pain. Taka's squeal became a screech, then he collapsed on the ground, mouth open, barely hanging onto consciousness.

The Sulfurous Brachydios decided that it had enough. Stomping away, occasionally stumbling, it left the near-lifeless body of Taka, disguised as a fearsome Leviathan, to bake in the sun.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka woke up suddenly. He had no idea when he had slipped into unconsciousness, but he did know that someone had fed him poison while he slept. Besides the taste of sulphur, he could detect a horrid taste scouring his tongue buds. Taka swore that he had none left.

He snapped open his eyes. Illeera was crouched over him, running her hand over his hard-shelled nose. So he was still in his Nibelsnarf form. He was aware of Vulcan standing over him as well, from behind in case he panicked at the sight of a Flying Wyvern staring him down when he woke up.

"What happened?" where the first words out of his mouth. They were spoken in a low, growling hiss. Illeera jumped, then said, more relaxed, "You swallowed some of the Brachydios's poison and took a dynamite fist to the stomach. We had to give you several Potions, as well as make you eat a... um..." Lowering her voice to just over a whisper, she mumbled, "... A Potent Cloth."

Gagging, Taka thrashed around, trying to get onto his feet. _Ugh, nasty! _he thought, disgusted and retching inwardly._Makes sense, though... Potent Cloths are used to cure intoxication caused by substances such as Brachydios dust. But I never thought I'd have to EAT one!_

Taka slowly calmed down. He lowered his gaze to look at Illeera. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "If it weren't for you - and possibly Vulcan - I'd be dead." Relaxing as he finally noticed that he was once again spending time with his best friend, he slowly reverted to his human form.

Immediately, Illeera rushed forward and hugged Taka tightly. "I'm so glad I have you back," she whispered, voice cracking as she began to cry. _I'm simply glad that you've accepted the company of your friend again, _growled Vulcan, relieved.

Illeera let go of Taka and he stumbled slightly. "Do you think it's time to make up with our other friends?" she inquired. When Taka looked reluctantly at Vulcan, the wyvern assured him, _Don't worry. I'll be at Magma Mountain whenever you need me. I'll teach myself how to fly, if neccessary._ The Rathalos took off, staggering a little as his injured wing gave a sharp sting of pain.

Taka looked at Illeera, grinning now that his friend was finally back with him. "Sure," he said happily. His mood suddenly went from happy to almost sullen. "I just hope they forgive me when they realize what I've done..."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Yay, Taka's back! But how will his (remaining) friends react when they find out that he was the one behind their recent trials?**

**You'll be finding out soon! In the meantime, reviews are much appreciated!**

**TRIVIA: I got the idea of a Potent Cloth from the urine-soaked fabrics that WWI soldiers used to combat poisonous gas. Yep, that's pretty much what Taka ate in order to counteract the sulfur.**


	11. New Hunters

**And now, the moment you've all been waiting for - Taka's friends' reactions to the realization that he tried to kill them.**

**It should also be mentioned that another new monster appears: the Scoliarch.**

-.-.-.-.-.

"TAKA!" Bronton roared in delight. Positively overjoyed to see the thin, bespectacled teenager again, the trainer slapped Taka on the back. The blow knocked Taka's glasses off of his face and sent him sprawling to the ground. "Oops, sorry, Taka," Bronton apologized.

Thankfully, Bronton didn't ask any questions about where Taka had been and why he had gone. He was simply too happy to see his trainee again, as he had grown to like Taka over the couple of weeks that he had been training in the Military Bastion. However, when Taka asked where his sister, Hydra, was, Bronton grew grim.

"She went to Mediatas Village," he began. "You see, a monster called Kuarusepusu attacked..." He went on to explain the situation in Taka's village. When he finished, Taka looked grim as well.

"No word from her yet?" he asked, a note of worry in his voice. "Sorry, mate," Bronton replied. "Nothing from Mediatas Village at all. Knowing how powerful a Frontier monster is, I'm guessing that the village was decimated." Taka simply remained silent, but he smiled a little when Illeera patted him gently on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up.

"Enough about monster attacks and missing hunters," said Bronton, loud voice booming through his Uragaan helm. "How's that prosthetic arm of yours holding up? Feel any different when you swing that magnificent Guan Dao?" Taka shifted from foot to foot and looked at his half an arm. "Well," he said uncertainly, "I'm getting used to it. It's a little difficult, but I think that I'm getting better with Guan here."

Bronton nodded, satisfied with Taka's answer, then asked, "Why don't you go see those friends of yours? They've been dying to see you again, you know." Taka's faint smile vanished. "Oh... Okay then, I'll go do just that." He shook his trainer's hand and looked at his armored helmet, as if trying to see through it and into his eyes.

Bronton, as he saw the vibrant blue eyes of Taka boring though his helm, felt a funny sensation. Whenever he looked at Taka, he felt this... weird feeling. As if he knew Taka somehow. It wasn't nostalgia, he knew that for a fact - after all, he had never seen Taka before in his life until now. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Taka reminded him of someone.

_Oh, well,_ Bronton thought as Taka and Illeera headed off. _I can dwell on this later. After all, I need to prepare the Graduation Match for the trainees. Too bad Hydra isn't here to help me with the last monster - it'll be a doozy, that's for sure._

-.-.-.-.-.

Illeera opened the door to the barracks. Hidden behind her, Taka could see the faces of all of his friends - _Well, remaining friends, that is,_ Taka thought - look up at her as she entered the room. "Everyone, look who's here!" she said happily. She stepped aside, and Taka knew that he was fully exposed, looking sheepish in his Qurupeco armor. "Umm... hi," he said awkwardly.

He glanced at everyone's face in turn, from Mylie's look of astonished joy to Kiem's look of what looked suspiciously like disappointment. He quickly looked away when he saw Relcia, but not quickly enough to see her expression - a curious blend of mixed disbelief, relief, and guilt.

"Where WERE you?" demanded Mylie. "Everyone's been worried sick!" Taka felt his heart sink somewhere down to his toes. He knew that this moment would come eventually, but that fact didn't make him feel any better about it. He met Illeera's eyes, which seemed to say, _Just tell them._

"Um," he began hesitantly. "You know the monsters that you've battled recently? Well... could you tell me about them?" Taahnn answered grimly, "Bronton's been piling on the tougher monsters, and we haven't been having too much of a good time, believe me." Taka nodded, all the while staring at the nasty scars on Relcia's leg - _Courtesy of me..._ he thought with a pang of guilt.

Taahnn continued, "There's been a Glauxiturn, which almost killed all of us. Then in the Frozen Wastes, we encountered a Jet Agnaktor that mopped the floor with us, not to mention killing Kread... And then a Zinogre, which wasn't as hard on us, but tough all the same."

Taka's eyes were a mixture of sadness and guilt. Only Relcia noticed, and realization dawned in her heart, bringing a sinking feeling with it. _My God..._ she prayed. _He didn't... He wouldn't dare..._

Taka started to speak. "I know all of this, Taahnn." There was a string of gasps. "How?" demanded Kiem. "You were gone for days! How could you know ANY of this?" Taking a deep inhalation, Taka spoke in a deathly quiet whisper... "It was me."

There was instant silence, a silence so thick that Taka could have cut it with his weapon. "...What?" breathed Mylie. Kiem didn't understand (he was always a little slow). "WHAT was you?" he demanded again. Relcia remained silent, instead staring at Taka with pure terror in her eyes. The shapeshifter confirmed her innermost fears; "I was those monsters. I tried to kill you all three times."

Another string of gasps ensued. "So," whispered Ryka, voice dangerously unstable. "You're the reason Kread is dead. You're the reason that my boyfriend WAS SLAUGHTERED!" Drawing her Shadow Saber and screaming in a maddened rage, she ran at Taka, who looked positively terrified. After only a moment's hesitation, Taka bolted out the open door, narrowly dodging the poisonous sword which crashed into the wooden wall instead.

Ryka, followed hesitantly by the rest of the group, madly chased after Taka, determined to slice him into pieces if it was the last thing she did. It nearly was too, as Taka actually had a plan - as soon as he led her into a wide enough area, he instantly became a Dark Agsolestea. Hissing ferociously, and so hard that saliva flew out of its mouth, the serpent coiled around Ryka and pinned her arms and legs. Drawing its head back, eyes burning with pure anger, it prepared to finish her.

"Taka, NO!" screamed Illeera. "Remember yourself! Don't give into anger again!" Slowly, the Dark Agsolestea calmed down. However, it tightened its grip, letting go only when Ryka had stopped struggling. Gasping for air and falling to her knees, Ryka fought her exhaustion, trying to reach her Shadow Saber. Taahnn kicked it away.

"We don't murder friends, Ryka," he said simply. "We're better than that slime over there." Glaring at Taka, he stepped away from Ryka's heaving body. Taka glared back and slowly reverted to his human form, venom in his eyes.

"For your information, _hunter,_" Taka said, spitting out the word as if it were poison, "I did all of this to protect the monsters. They are going extinct as we speak. My friend is in danger!" Mylie's eyes bulged. "You have a FRIEND monster?" she asked, amazed and appalled at the same time.

"Yes," snarled Taka. "He is a Rathalos, and I helped him when he was on the brink of death. His name is Vulcan." Backing away from the shocked group, he continued. "For his sake, I will not harm any of you. He wishes that we make up and continue our lives as friends - and as impossible as it may seem, I wish that as well." His eyes teared up and his face softened. "I wish it more than anything."

Taahnn, initially taken aback at this speech, slowly nodded. "If what you say is true, and you indeed have a friend in need out there," he confessed. "Then I will help you. A true friend must be protected at all costs. And I know that I would protect my friends with my life." Taka was shocked at this sudden mood shift.

Illeera stepped forward. "I stand by Taka as well," she declared. "He has a friend to defend, and I, for one, say that it doesn't matter that his friend is the very thing that we humans have sworn to destroy." Mylie nodded and linked arms with Illeera. "Then I guess I will help," she said, full of confidence. "A friend of Taka's is a friend of mine, and no friend gets left behind!"

Cautiously, Relcia took a step as well. "Even if that friend breathes fire and eats our species for lunch," she murmured, finishing Mylie's statement. Taka's heart warmed - with Relcia by his side, he felt like he could do anything. But when he tried to catch her eye, she looked away.

Only Kiem and Ryka stood against them. "I will NOT stand beside a murderer and a traitor," growled Ryka, and Kiem nodded his agreement. "Or a monster," he added. With a final nod, both of them stalked away, deeper into the Military Bastion.

-.-.-.-.-.

"So I guess it's a plan," agreed Taahnn. The five of them had agreed to work together in order to complete the Graduation Match that Bronton was setting up for them. They were excited and, most of all, happy to be working together with Taka by their side once more.

Taka himself was polishing his Guan Dao, or Guan as he called it. "When's the Graduation?" he asked absentmindedly. "Later this afternoon," replied Mylie. "Do you think you can prepare in time?"

"Of course," laughed Taka, looking up from his work. His eyes were sparkling with a radiance that no one had seen in a long time. "I'll just tell Bronton that I don't think I'm up to such a challenge yet. With my arm and a half, it'll be easy to convince him."

Relcia shook her head. "You could be killed, Taka," she pleaded. "Please don't do it." Taka tried once again to look her in the eyes, but again, she turned away. "Relcia, if I don't do this, I might get killed anyway, as well as everyone else. If I do this instead, then I'm the only one at risk." Quietly, Relcia put her head in her hands and began to cry.

Clearing his throat loudly, Taka got up from his seat and sheathed Guan. "I've got preparations to make," he said, trying to cover up his shame. "I'll see you all in the Arena Terra!" With that, he walked out the door and disappeared from view.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Welcome one and all, to the Arena Terra's Graduation Match! Today, we will see whether these new recruits have what it takes to defend Mediatas Village! But can they succeed in becoming Mediatas's new hunters?"

Bronton was the announcer, yelling into a large horn fashioned from the shell of a Shogun Ceanataur. Villagers from Mediatas Village, eager to get away from their partially demolished home, had come to the Military Bastion to cheer on the future hunters. The Elder was there beside Bronton, smiling confidently, and Hydra sat on his other side, wearing a splint for her arm and with a nasty scar on her cheek.

The Kuarusepusu had proven no problem at all. It had fled shortly after Hydra had entered the village, but had left behind a smoldering ruin. Only a few buildings were left standing, and the rest were burnt black by lightning strikes and pure, destructive light. To Hydra, and indeed the rest of the people, coming here was a chance to get away from their troubles.

The six trainees - Ryka, Kiem, Relcia, Mylie, Illeera, and Taahnn - filed into the arena, drinking Armorskins, sharpening their weapons, preparing ammo, and simply waving to the cheering crowd. "Oh, if only Hornt was still here," sighed Mylie. She had never quite gotten over his death. "Imagine what he'd be doing right now."

Taka, according to plan, was absent, having asked Bronton for a few more days in order to practice wielding his weapon before graduation. Bronton had granted his request, and had sent him off to go train with one of the Bastion residents. But Taka had quietly given that particular person the slip, with the aid of a Baggi's powerful sedative.

"Alright, folks!" bellowed Bronton. "Now for the main event! Cheer on your future defendants as they prove their valor here, in the Arena Terra!" He flicked a lever, the last of many, and the noise of the opening door was drowned out by the roaring crowd.

What wasn't, however, was the screech of the newly-released monster. Scuttling into the arena, modeled once again after an ancient ruin, was one of the most fearsome Neopterons of the Central World - the centipede-like Scoliarch. With another screech, it clacked its vicious mandibles and reared up, many legs waving in the air as if caught in a wind.

Everyone tensed up, ready for the fight of their lives. However, only Ryka and Kiem were actually doing it and not pretending, like the others. They didn't know what Illeera, Relcia, Taahnn, and Mylie knew - that the Scoliarch was actually Taka in disguise. Just before the match, Taka had released the real monster and took its place in the cage.

Taahnn opened up the match by playing on his Basarios Rock as usual, increasing his teammate's resistance to extreme temperatures - useful against monsters such as the Scoliarch. Ryka, knowing that Neopterons were weak against poison, charged with her venomous sword held high.

Unfortunately, Taka saw her coming and blasted her with his own poison, the spray deliberately missing her by a few inches. Dodging Ryka's initial attack, he body-slammed her, once again missing her by inches. Kiem charged as well, spearing his Rugged Lance into Taka's exoskeleton. The shell was harder than Kiem expected, however, and the weapon simply bounced off of it.

Illeera carefully shot a few arrows coated in Paralysis Coating ("Surprise," muttered Mylie) at Taka. The first two were carefully fired at insufficient angles, and they simply glanced off Taka's armored shell. The third hit him in the underbelly, but didn't have enough coating on it to actually paralyze him.

Taka played his role well, instantly making a beeline for Illeera when the arrow struck him. However, his head swing accidentally hit her, sending her to the rocky ground. Then, he focused on Mylie, climbing over a ruined wall that got in his way. She pelted him with Freeze shots, knowing full well that it wouldn't hurt Taka all that badly.

To Taka, the freezing impacts stung, but he managed to ignore them. _OK, time to get serious,_ he thought. _I need to break out some more powerful attacks, or else the crowd, not to mention Bronton and Hydra, will suspect something._ With that, he released high-pressure jets of flammable gas that hissed out from the special pores under his shell.

Ryka was struck as well as Relcia. _Lucky that Relcia's wearing that Rathian armor,_ Taka thought with relief. _The Fire resistance will help balance the gas - but I can't say the same for poor Ryka._ The cheering crowd grew louder as it saw the two girls become enveloped with the gas. _I know what they're expecting next... Well, better not disappoint them... and I'm sure Relcia will see it coming, so she'll get out of the way for sure._

Taka released his gas again, but not in jets - he simply let it hiss out of his pores and engulf his centipede-like form. Reacting with the gas was his shell, which was coated in special oils. Almost instantly, he burst into flames.

Screeching triumphantly, Taka coiled up and rolled around like a wheel, aiming directly at Kiem. He successfully blocked the charge with his giant shield, but was knocked over from the force of the blow. Taka ground to a halt, fires extinguishing themselves when he landed on his many legs.

Relcia took the opportunity to strike multiple times with her Raven Tessen Dual Swords. However, the swords only made minor scratches on Taka's carapace. _Thank goodness,_ he thought. _I thought that she'd be mad enough at me to really cause me harm._

Chittering, he casually batted her away with his back end - not too hard, just enough to make her lose her balance and fall. Then Taka struck, coiling around Relcia and gripping her with his legs. Dipping his head down repeatedly and snapping his mandibles, he pretended to bite her. In reality, he was using the opportunity to communicate.

"Doing OK?" he whispered in a strange, clicking voice. "Of course, Taka," Relcia whispered back. "And I'm really glad to see you again, by the way." Taka's mandibles shivered slightly, the closest a Scoliarch came to smiling. Then, Relcia hurled a Dung Bomb, which exploded in his face and caused him to uncoil and release her. The sheer smell made Taka give out a chittering scream of disgust. _That's my girl,_ he thought proudly.

-.-.-.-.-.

The battle dragged on. The group of six all had minor injuries, but nothing serious. Ryka and Kiem were amazed, but didn't question their "luck". The others simply thought, _Just part of the plan._ Taka was enjoying himself greatly. There was nothing like a little deception to spice up his day.

Finally, his exoskeleton was marred by countless scratches and cuts, some which actually dribbled yellow-green blood. He was growing increasingly wary of Kiem and Ryka, who didn't know it was him and would kill him without hesitation. _Then again,_ he thought grimly. _They'd probably kill me anyway._

Missing Illeera with a snap of his mandibles, he tripped on a medium-sized rock and flipped over, waving his legs in the air and chattering madly, doing a good impression of a panicked, upended insect. That was Relcia's cue - it had been decided that she would make the finishing blow. She had decided this separately with Kiem and Ryka as well, to stop them from unknowingly killing Taka.

Running up to the thrashing Neopteron, Relcia raised her Dual Swords over her head, thus triggering the Demonize ability. Breathing hard, she became a blur of movement as she struck again and again and again. Finally, she halted, dropping her Raven Tessen out of exhaustion. But her work was done, or so it seemed - Taka shapeshifted once more, imitating a dead Scoliarch with lifeless eyes and blood oozing out of its many wounds. He gave one twitch, then lay still.

The crowd, which had gone silent, suddenly erupted, cheering and applauding at the top of their lungs. Everyone put away their weapons and grinned widely, bowing and waving their arms at the cheering villagers. Taahnn even played a victory note on his Basarios Rock, and Bronton shouted, "Well done, trainees! Or should I say... MEDIATAS VILLAGE'S NEW HUNTERS!" The noise of the crowd sharply increased, until it was more deafening than the screech of a Diablos.

Hydra climbed down the stairs leading up to her and Bronton's perch, opening the great doors of the Arena Terra and allowing the new hunters to file out. It was only when there was silence, and the villagers left to their Aptonoth-drawn carts to head back to the village, that the dead Scoliarch became a live one. Chuckling, Taka scuttled out of the Arena Terra, closing the doors behind him.

-.-.-.-.-.

**... What'll happen next? Taka's made up with his friends, they're all officially hunters... Now what?**

**Next chapter coming soon! Review please!**


	12. Triumph Over the World Eater

**Yay, the next chapter! Taka's adventure isn't over, as a new part of the story comes into play.**

**And two OC monsters are mentioned, but you don't have to concentrate on them for now.**

**Kyroshiro: Don't worry - Ryka and Kiem don't get the chance.**

-.-.-.-.-.

The massive Brute Wyvern stomped across the Barren Desert's sandy terrain. Drooling uncontrollably, it searched for a half-decent meal that it could fill its stomach with. Its brain, relatively small for a wyvern of its size, incessantly screamed _FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!_ Its great belly rumbled, the sound causing the earth to vibrate slightly.

The monster peered into the distance. As night came and the stars broke out in the desert sky, it thought it saw a strange light somewhere on the horizon. For a moment, it forgot its hunger. _A point of light, in the middle of the Barren Desert?_ it thought in confusion. _What could that mean?_

Suddenly, the Brute Wyvern realized that it was a human settlement, and that it was their odd oil lamps and candles that was making the light. _Where there is light, there is heat. And where there is heat, there is most definitely food._ Grinning savagely, the monster altered its course, toward the soft glow in the distance.

Its footsteps shook the ground, making its presence clear to any and all monsters in the vicinity. A group of Delex, which had been swimming through the sand toward the smell of food, suddenly screeched and scattered as the Brute Wyvern stomped through their midst. Apceros and Rhenoplos bellowed in fear and ran as well, and a flock of Remobra hissed in fury and terror as the huge wyvern disturbed their rest. They flew up in a flurry of flapping wings from their tree, shrieking and cawing as they fled.

All over the desert, monsters, large and small, fled at the approach of the great Brute Wyvern. Resident monsters forgot their prey-predator relationships and ran, swam, and flew as fast as they could from the terrifying beast. In an amalgamation of different voices, they all screamed the same thing.

_The World Eater is here! The World Eater is coming!_ they yelled in panicked terror as the Brute Wyvern continued toward its destination. One thought dominated each monster's mind; the Deviljho was coming. And it was coming to feed.

-.-.-.-.-.

Just like their first night in the Military Bastion, way back when they had first started their training as hunters, the group of friends - consisting of Taka, Illeera, Relcia, Mylie, Taahnn, Ryka, and Kiem - as well as Bronton and Taka's sister Hydra, were up late. They were all having a good time celebrating, as they had all become full-fledged hunters.

Well, all except Taka. He had actually been the monster that the others were supposed to fight. Had Bronton or Hydra known this, they would have disgraced him and sent him back to Mediatas Village, never to come back. But they both believed that Taka had been training with his Longsword, the Guan Dao, the entire time, not even suspecting that Taka had faked death in the guise of a Scoliarch in order to help his friends complete their training.

When the celebration first started, Taka had nervously kept his distance from Ryka and Kiem. They were the only two out of the entire group that opposed the monsters that they were trained to fight. Everyone else secretly supported the monsters, and were plotting to end the war in a peaceful manner.

Ryka and Kiem hadn't known that Taka was the Scoliarch they had fought just a few hours ago, but Taka initially believed that they would put two and two together - the fact that he could shapeshift, and the fact that he had been absent from the Graduation Match - and turn on him. But they didn't.

Bronton and Hydra stayed a while with the new hunters, but were called to a meeting in the Military Bastion's Parliament, which was a chamber in the center of the fortress where hunters went whenever something big was afoot, and needed time to plan. When they left, Taka instantly became suspicious. _What on earth would they need to plan for?_

Taahnn noticed his expression. "What is it, Taka?" he asked. "Wondering what it is that Bronton and your sister are planning?" With a mute nod, Taka turned his attention back to the door that the two had left through. Illeera looked at him concernedly. She was his closest friend, and thus she had a very good idea of what was going through his head right now.

"Taka, you're going to follow them, aren't you?" He looked at her with a surprised expression. "How do you always figure out exactly what I'm thinking?" he asked in disbelief. Illeera ignored that and instead replied, "I'm not going to stop you. If it has something to do with the monsters, or..." She lowered her voice. "...your friend... Then I really think that you should definitely go."

Taka smiled gratefully at her, then told the rest of his friends, "I'm leaving. I'll be back as soon as I can." Without waiting for a reply, he left, closing the door behind him.

-.-.-.-.-.

"What?!" exclaimed the Elder of Mediatas Village. "An Elder Dragon sighting?" The hunter who had brought the news nodded. He was the most experienced of the group, bedecked in full Tigrex armor. "Yes, I swear." His voice was deep, with an undercurrent of contained ferocity. "I was back home in Minegarde, returning from a Khezu hunt, when the sun was blocked out. I looked up and saw it - its massive wings blotted out the sunlight for a full thirty seconds before it passed. Since I sometimes associate with you Central World people, I recalled hearing about this Dragon. So I came here, knowing that you'd know how to take care of it."

Bronton shook his head. "Elder Dragons have been extinct for years now," he said doubtfully. "It was probably just a large Rathalos... um... A _really_ large one... er... Or maybe a flock of them." Even he didn't believe his words.

The Elder looked grim. "This is bad indeed," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "I know of this Dragon... It is sometimes seen here in the Central World, every few decades. We know it as Taltaira, the God of the Skies. It is the only flying creature that rivals the Jhen Mohran of old in size." Everyone gasped at this. Some of the hunters had hunted Jhen Mohran before they became extinct, and it was hard for them to imagine a _flying_ one.

Hydra spoke up now. "Hunters here have fought Taltaira before. I can guess that it is probably heading to its nest on the Ruined Island." Bronton responded gravely, "Fought them, yes... But never, ever killed one. They're that tough. Even with Dragonators set up on the Ruined Island, and shooting with Ballistas as it flies over the mainland... It can't be done."

The hunter in the Tigrex armor suddenly rose. "But maybe now we can," he said cryptically. "My associates and I have developed a new hunting technology - one that will allow you to chase this Taltaira across the sea and to its island." Another hunter wheeled a huge, disc-shaped platform into the centre of the room. Something was perched on top, but it was covered by a gray cloth.

The Tigrex hunter whipped the cloth off with a dramatic flair. Everyone gasped and began to mutter at the strange contraption in front of them. "What is it?" asked the Elder. "Some kind of weapon?"

The hunter smiled, the same smile that he wore just before a hunt began. "Yes and no," he answered. "This, my brother and sister hunters, is what I call a Hunting Plane. It is a vehicle with a miniature Ballista mounted on the front, and it can fly. I'm serious, I've had it tested." The mutterings became more excited. With a weapon such as this, it was hard to imagine how the sport of monster hunting could be revolutionized.

Hours went by as the group discussed their strategy for hunting the Taltaira. All the while, a small Giggi hid in the shadows, its leech-like face growing darker and darker with every word.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka sat alone, gazing out at the lake in the deepest part of the Military Bastion. This lake acted as a reservoir, giving the hunters who came here plenty of water for washing and drinking. Although, it was prone to Eelekiose attacks, as the eel-like Wyrms loved the fresh, clear water.

None of this was on Taka's mind now, however... He was still reeling from what he had heard last night. _An Elder Dragon!_ he thought excitedly. _What I wouldn't give to see one! And this one, the God of the Skies, is supposedly even bigger than the legendary Jhen Mohran!_ There were less happy thoughts pervading his mind as well - the news of a revolutionary hunting technology... that could fly... made him feel both scared and angry.

He had told his friends, minus Ryka and Kiem, of course, what he had learned. There had been mixed feelings of excitement, fear, and worry. Taka had told them that he was going to form a plan, and try to save this rare Elder Dragon, but so far he hadn't thought of anything.

And then there was the problem of Vulcan. He would certainly be concerned, even terrified, if Taka told him about this. Taka needed a solution, one that would save the Taltaira, end the war, and make peace between monsters and humans, ending the threat of new hunting technologies.

A soft sound behind him made him flinch. Turning into a Velocidrome by reflex, he whipped around and shrieked at whatever it was. Then he got a clear view of his company - it was only Relcia, looking shocked at Taka's reaction. He morphed back into himself, saying, "I'm sorry. I got a little frightened there."

Relcia recovered from her shock and relaxed. "What happened to the Taka that would simply dive into the water when he heard something that frightened him?" she asked softly. "You've changed. I don't think I like it." Taka flushed, both from embarrassment and shame.

Sitting beside him at the edge of the clear lake, Relcia changed the subject to something Taka found equally uncomfortable. "I came to apologize to you, Taka." He simply looked at her, his expression unreadable. Relcia continued, "None of this would have happened if I hadn't denied..." She choked up and tears began to well in her eyes.

Taka shifted a little closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm the one that needs to apologize," he said firmly. "It's my fault for taking out my childish anger out on all of you. It's my fault for trying to kill you. I shouldn't have done such a horrid thing. None of this would have happened if I hadn't acted so... so..." Searching for a word, Taka felt tears well up in his eyes as well.

"How's your leg?" he asked Relcia after a moment. His voice was heavy with guilt. "It's fine," she replied. "I'm getting stronger walking on it, and the wounds are healing rapidly." Pausing for a second, she added, "You know, I just remembered that I wanted to thank you as well." Now Taka was completely bewildered. "THANK me? What on earth for?"

Taking a deep breath, Relcia cautiously went on. "For... for saving my life four times." Even more bewildered, Taka repeated uncertainly, "Four?" Nodding, she said, "Well, you saved me from the Rathian weeks ago... Then the Nargacuga... Then when you were posing as that Jet Agnaktor..."

Taka interrupted her. "Sorry to intrude, but I think those were the only three times. I don't think I've saved you one more." Relcia smiled at him. "Not at all," she said, then hugged him tightly. "You came back," she whispered into his ear. Taka began to smile as well as he hugged her back. Strangely, he didn't feel nervous - in fact, he felt a little more confident.

They let go of each other after a few seconds. Thoughtfully, Relcia said, "You know... I think that you chose the perfect armor all those weeks ago. The Qurupeco armor suits you." Turning away, Taka asked, "Why? Qurupecoes are funny-looking? Cowardly?"

"Not at all!" Relcia's tone shocked Taka into looking back at her. More calmly, she said, "Qurupecoes are colorful, quirky, intelligent, cute..." Her voice trailed off and she put an arm around Taka's waist. Looking at the ground, Taka responded, "Well... thanks. ...While we're on the subject, I think that you picked a suitable armor set as well."

Relcia looked at her Rathian armor, as if expecting to see something different. "What do you mean?" she asked with the ghost of a smile on her face. Taka responded after a brief pause, carefully putting his feelings into words. "Rathians are elegant, beautiful wyverns, more so than any other wyvern. They're called the Queens of the Land for a reason." Relcia leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice to little more than a murmur and clutching Taka's hand. "I still don't see what you mean... How does the title 'Queen of the Land' suit me?"

Swallowing nervously, Taka summoned his courage in preparation for what he was about to say next. "It suits you perfectly, Relcia... You're my queen." Relcia smiled, tears once again welling up - and then she lunged forward, kissing Taka on the lips.

Taka's mind just blanked out. His brain had just frozen. However, his shock wore off surprisingly quickly. He closed his eyes contentedly and embraced Relcia. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart.

"Nothing could ruin this moment for me, Taka," Relcia whispered, and leaned in to kiss him again - when a deep, guttural roar echoed from elsewhere in the Military Bastion. It was accompanied by a scream. Both of them instantly looked in the direction of the sudden noise. "You had to say that, didn't you?" asked Taka sarcastically. They both jumped up and ran, hands reaching for their weapons.

-.-.-.-.-.

It was worse than Taka even suspected. Never hearing that particular roar before, he hadn't really known what to expect, but he did know that whatever it was, it was bad. From the intense reading he constantly did about the monsters of the Central World (the subject had always fascinated him - Hydra had thought it was about "know your enemy", and thus hadn't stopped him), Taka knew that all sorts of dreadful creatures invaded the Military Bastion.

Whatever confidence he had immediately drained out of him when he actually saw the creature. Bronton, Hydra, and his friends were trying to fend it off and drive it away, but of course they didn't have any luck - after all, this monster was the Brute Wyvern Deviljho, and to it, they were just snacks.

He saw Illeera narrowly avoid a bite from its slobbering jaws, limping forward on her half a leg. He saw Kiem desperately spearing it in the side before getting swatted by its thick tail. As tired as the Deviljho looked, it was clearly winning the fight. And Taka knew that it would get much worse soon enough.

Fitting his Longsword Guan into his prosthetic arm, Taka asked Relcia, "Well, any last words?" Relcia looked at him, shocked. "We can overcome this, Taka. Together, I know we can." Taka desperately wanted to believe that, but he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Sighing, he ran forward into the fray, downing a Ration as well as an Armorskin. With only a moment's hesitation, Relcia did the same, right after quickly sharpening her Raven Tessen. Out of the corner of its eye, the Deviljho saw the two hunters rush into battle. With an ominous growl, it stomped over to end their progress.

Drawing back, it dug its jaw into the ground and flung a huge clump of earth at the duo. They separated, then drew together again when the massive projectile passed by them. Taka awkwardly swung his Longsword, making the Deviljho actually retreat a few steps. He knew that the Dragon element in the blade would deter the wyvern more than anything else. He pressed his advantage, driving the monster back with every swipe of his blade.

Illeera had the second best thing at her disposal - a Thunder element weapon. She rained electrical arrows down onto the Deviljho's back. Although it barely noticed each one of them, she knew that the charges were adding up and doing damage. Pausing to wipe the sweat from her brow, she brought out some Poison Coating that Bronton had previously made for her, and dunked a number of arrows in the little bottle.

Taahnn was playing on his Basarios Rock like never before, increasing his comrade's agility, strength, heat resistance, and more. Kiem was forced to block bite after bite with his shield, retaliating once or twice with his Rugged Lance. Mylie fired one or two rounds of Thunder S, pausing every so often to reload.

Slicing at the Deviljho's legs, Relcia suddenly had an idea. There was no need to risk her life like this from close range - she had special items that she could strategize with. Putting away her fan-like swords, she ran a few yards from the distracted Brute Wyvern and dug into her pouch. She took out a slimy lump of Aptonoth meat. _There's nothing a Deviljho likes more than a lunch break,_ she thought, grinning mischievously. _But this food isn't exactly the healthiest._

She purposely dropped the meat, running as fast as she could away from it. By the time Taka noticed what she was doing, she had already put down two more chunks of flesh. "You, my girl, are incredibly smart," Taka said to her, amazed. "Why didn't I think of that?" Relcia smiled at him, then moved on to place another piece of food.

The tempting smell of raw meat found its way into the Deviljho's nostrils as it fended off an attack from Bronton. _FOOD!_ it instinctively thought, then it ignored the attacking hunters completely as it headed for the first piece of meat. The morsel vanished into the Deviljho's gaping maw - then a roar of agony tore its way out of its throat as the poisonous food instantly paralyzed it.

Everyone instantly went into overdrive. No one knew what exactly had happened - save for Relcia, Taka, and Hydra, who had fought Deviljho before - but they weren't letting it stop them from taking advantage of the Brute Wvyern's obvious helplessness. After only ten seconds, the Deviljho was freed from its paralysis, but now it was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds.

Now it was mad. Ignoring its still-prominent hunger, its muscles swelled dramatically as it's rage went through the roof. It let loose with a guttural roar that shook stones from the walls and caused the very earth to shake. It swept the area with a beam of dragonic energy, doing devastating damage to anything caught in the destructive wave.

Bronton, Kiem, Taahnn, and Ryka were all blasted. Although the beam didn't physically harm them, they could feel themselves growing weaker as the energy affected their internal systems. They had attained "Dragonblight", a crippling ailment that would dramatically affect their performance in the battle. Luckily, all of them carried Dragonfell Berries, which would help speed up their recovery.

Everyone except Ryka successfully ate their berries and began to feel better - however, Ryka was so disoriented that she couldn't even get up. She finally found her item pouch and grabbed a Dragonfell Berry, but by the time her vision cleared and her strength returned, the Deviljho was nearly on top of her.

Taka, frozen in fear, watched the entire episode. The Brute Wyvern seized her in its jaws, now slick and dripping with drool, and tossed her high in the air. The scream lasted two seconds - then Ryka fell straight into the Deviljho's mouth and was immediately swallowed.

All of the hunters simply stared in disbelief and horror. Hydra snapped out of it first, charging at the Deviljho in a zig-zagging pattern in order to confuse it. However, she was easily batted away by its tail.

Now momentarily free from the attacks of the humans, the Deviljho could eat in peace. One by one, it devoured the pieces of meat that Relcia had left behind. Bad choice on its part - the combination of sleeping drugs, paralyzing poisons, and deadly toxins severely crippled it. Half-asleep, numb, and slowly succumbing to the venom, it knew that it had made a grave mistake.

It threw up once, depositing a load of half-digested meat on the ground, then stumbled back the way it had came, eager to put distance in between it and the horrid fortress it had invaded, simply looking for a meal.

-.-.-.-.-.

For hours, no one could speak. The death of Ryka had been so abrupt that they didn't even know what to say. That wasn't to say that they didn't react at all - Mylie sobbed constantly, Taahnn kept shaking his head in disbelief, and Relcia clutched Taka's arm and stared at him with frightened eyes, silently asking him what they should do.

For once, Taka had no idea. Sighing heavily, he sat down next to Relcia on his bed, head in his hands. He wanted to say that everything would be fine. He wanted to assure them all that Ryka made it safely to the afterlife, where she would finally see Kread again. He wanted more than anything to simply hold Relcia close and tell her that in the end, Ryka's name would be remembered with honor.

Taka couldn't do or say any of these things. _Being silent,_ he decided, _is far better than lying._

-.-.-.-.-.

**Another bad ending, and another death. This time, it's Ryka. Will there be more?**

**You'll be finding out soon! See you then.**

**TRIVIA: I fought my first Deviljho a week ago, and it wasn't that bad. I'd better keep practicing :)**


	13. Enter Warlaros the Wyvern Warlord

**So much has happened since the story started - Taka first became a hunter, then a friend to the monsters... he fought and made up with his friends... he saw three of his friends die... and found happiness with Relcia.**

**Now, this story is almost done. Taka and the gang still have a few obstacles to overcome before victory is achieved and peace reigns for the first time in hundreds of years.**

**Kyroshiro: Deviljho was surprisingly easy. I fought him again today, and it didn't go so well. Beginner's luck, I assume. I'm trying to get his Great Sword, though, so I'd better hop to it.**

-.-.-.-.-.

In the days following the Deviljho attack, the Military Bastion underwent an almost suffocating quietness. Hunters from all over frequently visited as usual, defending the Bastion from any monster threat. Bronton and Hydra planned endlessly. And the group of young friends huddled in their barracks, worrying.

Even a few days after the death of their friend Ryka, the gang was saddened into complete silence. Taka pondered endlessly, alternating his thoughts from possible ways to cheer everyone up to the rumors of a Taltaira sighting far away in Minegarde. His friend Relcia, with whom he had grown much closer since the fight with the hungry Brute Wyvern, simply sat next to him, clutching his arm and resting her head on his shoulder in grief. He dearly wished that he could do something to help ease her sorrow.

It was natural that they would feel so upset about this. Most hunters were so used to this kind of thing that the most they would do would be to bury their companion(s) and move on. But these hunters were just rookies, and the Deviljho fight had been their first real hunt. They weren't as used to losing friends as other, more experienced hunters.

It didn't help that Bronton and Hydra were constantly hinting that they start taking Quests from the Hunter's Guild. There had always been a Guild associate in Mediatas Village, helping what few hunters were based there. Apparently, it was about time that Taka and company were to take on simple Quests such as delivering mushrooms or hunting Jaggi.

Sighing for the hundredth time, Kiem polished his Rugged Lance. "You know," he began, "we shouldn't really be feeling this way anymore. I mean, I'm as sad as all of you are, but wouldn't Bronton or Hydra or any other hunter have moved on by now? We're hunters - I suggest that we suck it up and get on with life."

Mylie's eyes flashed. "'Suck it up'?" she repeated with barely contained anger. "We just lost a friend, Kiem! Three, in fact! You could be a little more sensitive!" Stalking over to him, she raised her hand and prepared to slap him forcefully in the face, but Illeera got in the way and held her down. "Calm down!" she ordered. "This is no excuse to fight amongst ourselves! Would Ryka have wanted it this way? And for that matter, would Hornt or Kread have wanted it like this either?"

Before anyone could respond, Hydra stuck her head in through the door. "Hey, rookies," she greeted them cheerfully. "Ready to head back home? It's time to start your official work as hunters!" When she left, everyone simply glanced at each other and began to pack their bags in preparation for the trip back to Mediatas Village.

-.-.-.-.-.

The trip back was just as uneventful as the previous one, all those weeks ago. Everyone, despite their melancholia, began to ease up a little and grow excited about seeing their home again. They talked for the entire second half of the journey, commenting on how different everything felt.

But when they finally reached their destination, the group couldn't believe their eyes. The village, they had heard before, had been damaged by a rogue Kuarusepusu, and needed extensive repairs. But they had never been told that the damage was THIS bad. The chatter ground to an abrupt halt as they saw the scorched, torn buildings and the complete mess that had once been home to them.

The villagers, old friends and neighbours that they had known all their lives, were hard at work doing repairs. The new hunters were greeted warmly again and again, with each greeting peppered with admiring remarks about their armor and weapons as well as congratulations.

"This is a nightmare," muttered Illeera, looking around at the sheer magnitude of the damage. "And to think that we're trying to protect -" Taka violently shushed her, glancing around fearfully in case someone had heard her. To be honest, he was quite impressed at how badly a single monster had managed to demolish Mediatas Village. _I'd love to see the Great Frontier for myself one day, _he thought almost wistfully. _Then I could see what amazing monsters live there._

The rest of the day was spent helping the villagers clean up the mess. Kiem was actually approached by the Guild Associate and given a hunting request in the Idyllic Ocean. He returned from his Conga hunt just as the sun began to set. Taka glared at the scratched, dirty hunter, Blangonga armor smelling like Conga gas. _He probably ENJOYED the whole thing, the barbarian._

Finally, the work was stopped and everyone headed for a good night's rest. One by one, the villagers and hunters disappeared into their homes as the sky grew ever darker.

Taka simply stood in front of the wooden house that he shared with his sister Hydra. It had been so long since he had seen it, and he was immediately comforted by the sight of it, despite the burnt roof and several charred holes in the walls. He didn't even notice Illeera and Relcia walk up beside him until Illeera spoke up. "Home sweet home, huh?" she asked, and he unconsciously nodded.

"It's been too long," Illeera continued casually, as if she was talking to herself. "I've almost forgotten what the village looked like, and then to come home to a wreck... It's almost depressing." Taka just glanced at her, wondering why she was saying these things. _It's not like her to state the obvious._ he thought. _But then again, we've all changed since we last saw Mediatas Village_. The twinge of guilt that accompanied that thought was only minor.

Yawning deeply, Illeera patted Taka on the back and said idly, "Good night, Taka," before leaving for her own house. When she had left, Relcia hugged Taka and kissed him on the cheek. "Night," she said simply and quietly, before she left as well. Taka just stood there for a few seconds, staring after her, before finally entering the building for a good, long, much-needed rest.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka awoke to the sound of a shout. It was soon accompanied by the sounds of Hunting Horns and hunters running out into the night. As he reached for his Longsword, he heard more shouts. "The Warlord! The Wyvern Warlord is coming!" His heart didn't just sink; it dropped so fast that it nearly singed the Kelbi-fur rug lying next to his bed.

_Please let it be just an ordinary Flying Wyvern, _Taka thought frightenedly, almost desperately. _Someone saw it and made a mistake in their panic. It's only a Khezu, or at worst, a Gravios. Please don't let it be - _And then he opened the door and saw the monster, and his stream of self-assurances dried up immediately.

It WAS the Wyvern Warlord, more commonly known as the Warlaros. It looked something like a combination of a Rathalos and the Frontier wyvern called Gurunzeburu, with immense wings, a deadly, spiked tail, and an immense horn on its head like a huge Greatsword. Its eyes gleamed crimson in the dark, and the moonlight clearly shone though the tears in its ragged wings. The wyvern's entire body was covered in scars, some smaller, some deeper, and some even slashing through its armored back, cracking it in places.

Taka had read extensively about this rare Flying Wyvern, mostly because he was terrified that he would eventually meet one. The tiny thorns on its single, bladelike horn carried an explosive charge, which would be detonated when the Warlaros slammed its horn into something. It was a master at combat, experienced in the ways of battle, and spent its entire life taking over other monsters' territories. Both its fangs and its tail spines were deadly venomous.

The wyvern gave a screeching howl, even more unnerving than the Deviljho's roar. The sound struck even greater fear in Taka than the hiss of the Vengeful Gobul, whom he had actually killed some time ago. Because this time, he knew that the monster he was about to face was here for one reason only - not simply the destruction of one person, but the destruction of the entire village. This was its territory now, and nothing would stop the Warlaros from conquering it.

_Or so it thinks!_ seethed Taka, already running for the monster, attaching Guan to his prosthetic arm. Kiem, Relcia, Illeera, Mylie, Taahnn, Hydra, and two other hunters were already doing the same. Taka calmed as he saw his friends running to do battle beside him, just like back in the Arena Terra. They went through their usual preparation routine - Mylie loaded Pierce Shots into her Agnablaster Bowgun, Illeera dipped her arrows in Power Coating, and Taahnn played some notes on his Basarios Rock.

The Warlaros's eyes narrowed as it picked out nine hunters. Disposing of nine humans, all armed to the teeth, would certainly be a problem. But the Flying Wyvern was a veteran of conquest, having once wrested territories from even monsters such as Rajangs and Tigrexes. It would have to keep its weak underbelly protected, and out of reach from the humans.

The wyvern leapt forward, snapping with its poisonous jaws. The hunters scattered, and retaliated ferociously. Taka aimed for the legs, hoping to injure them enough to topple the Warlaros. Illeera aimed her arrows at its scars, knowing that they'd be easier to pierce than its intact, scaly hide. However, the Wyvern Warlord was expecting this, having dealt with such tactics in the past, and easily thwarted their strategy. It swung its tail out from nowhere, striking Taka and driving him to the ground. At the same time, Illeera was bowled over by the side of its horn.

Illeera got back up and carefully aimed a Power-Coated arrow at its eye. On the other side of the Warlaros, Taahnn simultaneously bashed and played, succeeding in cracking the armor on its left leg. Catching sight of Illeera's arrow, the Flying Wyvern suddenly jumped straight up, propelled by its powerful legs and wings. The arrow was released, flying straight and true, but too late - the Warlaros was no longer there. The arrow sped onwards at thirty miles an hour and struck Taahnn. He couldn't even scream as the arrow pierced his kneecap with an audible *crack!*.

_Arrow to the knee,_ thought Taka grimly as he got up painfully. _That would be almost funny, if it weren't for the dire situation we're in._ He inspected his body for any punctures, courtesy of the Warlaros's deadly tail spikes. Finding none, he leapt back into the battle, trying to keep his distance from the monster while at the same time trying to get some good strikes in. _Not as easy as it sounds - or even looks._

One of the other hunters, a big fellow in Tigrex armor whom Taka recognized from the parliamentary meeting in the Military Bastion, put away his Hammer and helped Taahnn up, trying to get him to a sheltered area. Unfortunately, the Warlaros noticed, and it was only quick thinking from Relcia that saved the duo - she threw a Dung Bomb at the wyvern, driving it back and diverting its attention from the helpless Taahnn.

As the Warlaros prepared to attack Relcia, Taka took the opportunity to use the Spirit Blade combo. Focusing his inner strength on Guan, he began to swing the Longsword, the blade glowing with pure energy as he concentrated. Suddenly, Taka felt Guan become twice as strong and half as heavy from the mystic energy.

The Wyvern Warlord felt the glowing blade pierce its scaly armor and howled with pain. It leapt forwards, making a ninety degree turn to face Taka. Undaunted, it made a strike of its own, crashing its horn into the ground and causing a small, localized explosion. Taka dodged and slashed again, opening up one of its old wounds. It screamed again, retreating high into the air and away from the energized Longsword. The small part of Taka that wasn't focused on Guan marveled at how he could suddenly wield the blade expertly, even though he still wasn't used to his half an arm yet.

Just because the Warlaros had retreated, that didn't mean that it had fled. Attacking from the black sky, it dove down, lashing out with a sharp talon at Taka. The claw easily pierced his Qurupeco armor and sliced though his side. With a scream of pain, Taka stumbled and fell, blood pouring onto the ground from the wound. Luckily, he managed to down a Mega Potion to help heal the ghastly slash. But for now, he was out of the fight. And the Warlaros knew that.

Snarling, the demonic Flying Wyvern moved in for the kill - but was stopped dead in its tracks as it stepped onto a hastily placed Shock Trap. Ordinarily, the Warlaros would have been too cunning, not to mention experienced, to fall for such a thing. But its attention had been focused entirely on Taka, and thus had never noticed the last-minute trap. Jerking spasmodically, it struggled to free itself as the electricity snared it.

Taka painfully got up, only to collapse again. His wound was slowly healing, but blood still dripped from it, and it caused him a great deal of pain. Illeera ran to help him up, and she helped lead him to safety behind a relatively sturdy building.

Meanwhile, the Shock Trap's effects abruptly ceased, and the Warlaros spread its wings and hissed triumphantly as it broke free. Furious now, it looked for someone to take its anger out on. Its malicious eyes fell on Kiem, who was busy sharpening his Rugged Lance with a Whetstone, and it charged forward.

Kiem finished his work and looked up, only to see that the Wyvern Warlord was nearly on top of him. He yelled in surprise and moved to block the creature's charge, but it was too late. With a screech and a final lunge forward, the Warlaros's horn sliced clean through Kiem's abdomen and buried itself in the massive boulder behind him. There was a huge explosion as its horn spikes detonated inside of the rock, reducing it to fragments. Kiem blew apart as well.

Taka, who was watching the entire thing from his hiding place with Illeera, gasped with sheer horror. Bits and pieces of rock, armor, and flesh rained down around the dazed monster. Mylie shouted in anger, firing Pierce Shots at a rapid pace. The Warlaros took notice of the stabbing pains in its side and ran at her, flapping its torn wings menacingly. Before Mylie was also impaled, Relcia threw one of her Raven Tessen at the creature's leg and it subsequently stumbled and fell to the ground.

Hydra, with her own pair of Raven Tessen, began slicing at the Flying Wyvern's underbelly. Illeera, attacking from her hiding place, rained Power-Coated arrows down at its exposed side, electrifying it.

Getting to its feet, the Warlaros grudgingly decided to retreat. This miserable piece of territory was obviously not worth the effort to take. Besides, it needed to rest and heal before it got more injuries, possibly even fatal ones. Shrieking deafeningly and causing everyone to cringe, it flapped off into the moonlit night and out of sight.

-.-.-.-.-.

The new hunters of Mediatas Village were lavishly praised for their defeat of the Wyvern Warlord. At first, the villagers, including the Elder, were worried that the Warlaros would heal and then return to finish what it started. But an exhausted and injured Taka assured them that the Warlord was intelligent, especially when compared to other Flying Wyverns such as Khezus, and wouldn't attack again now that it had tried and failed.

After a small celebration, the group slept all the way into the early afternoon. Surprisingly, the damage done in the attack was minor, as the Warlaros had made an effort not to hurt itself further by crashing into buildings and other things. The villagers continued to repair Mediatas Village all day after only a few hours' sleep.

When Taka woke up, it was to a throbbing pain in his side. His wound had healed significantly, thanks to the several Potions that he had ingested after the battle. The armor he wore would need to be patched, or replaced entirely. But there was one thing that he knew couldn't be repaired - the loss of Kiem.

He had never liked Kiem, but Taka knew from experience that it was easy to feel sorry for an enemy once they were gone. He counted in his head - his circle of friends had had a total of four losses; first Hornt, then Kread, Ryka, and now Kiem. Taka dearly wished that there would not be any more.

Consulting with the village's chief doctor, he learned that Taahnn had recovered as well. Although he could only move with the aid of a sturdy stick, the worst of the damage to his knee had been healed and the arrow had been extracted successfully. Illeera apologized to him as soon as she saw him, but Taahnn knew that it had been a complete accident and waved the apology off.

Now, the five friends huddled on the edge of the village, facing into the Wet Rainforest. "What do we do know?" asked Taahnn, wincing a little as his knee flared up suddenly. "How do we even begin to stop the war in the Central World?"

"I don't know," replied Taka uncertainly. "But I believe that we should focus on the rumors of the Elder Dragon. I don't want such a magnificent creature harmed any more than it has to be. Its species has taken too much of a beating."

Mylie chimed in. "What about the new hunting technology you told us about; the Hunting Planes?" she wondered. "How do we stop them?" Taka gave her a triumphant smile. "I've been asking myself that," he answered confidently. "I believe that it's time to take that old saying to heart: 'fight fire with fire'."

Relcia entered the conversation. "Are you saying," she began, voice filled with both caution and wonder, "that we should get some Hunting Planes of our own to rescue the Taltaira?"

"Yep," Taka confirmed heartily. "If we steal a few of those Hunting Planes for ourselves, and follow the hunters gone to deal with the Elder Dragon, we can protect it from the air!" By now, everyone was looking at Taka with something like awe.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them and an incredibly loud screech reached their ears. The group looked up and saw that the sun had been blotted out - by an immense flying creature. Even from several kilometers below it, they could tell that it could crush the village if it landed, it was so massive. Taka whispered to no one in particular, "Taltaria... The God of the Skies." As he said the name, the sun returned and the Taltaira began to make its way into the distance.

Composing himself, Taka said in a strong voice full of confidence, "Come on, friends. Let's get to the Military Bastion and get us some Hunting Planes. Let's end this war once and for all, and save the God of the Skies!" His friends erupted into cheers.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Hello again, Vulcan."

Taka and his friends had trekked all the way from Mediatas Village to the Magma Mountain. It hadn't taken them that long, considering that they had hitched a ride on a passing Gargwa-drawn cart carrying supplies. Now, the group of five stood facing the Rathalos.

Mylie and Taahnn looked incredibly nervous. Relcia was simply curious, and a little fascinated. Taka and Illeera were both calm. "Vulcan, these are my friends," continued Taka. "You've met Illeera, of course. This is Mylie, Relcia, and Taahnn." He gestured to each of them in turn. Vulcan nodded and smiled as he said their names, trying to make the expression look friendly and not intimidating.

_You need my help, don't you, Taka?_ Vulcan asked shrewdly. "Yes, my friend," answered Taka. "We need you to quickly take us to the Military Bastion, without being seen. Can you do that?" Vulcan nodded his head once.

Five minutes later, Vulcan soared across the scorching, sunlit sky, carrying each of the five on his back. Whatever fears or concerns about the Flying Wyvern they had vanished. Soon, Taahnn, Mylie, Illeera, and Relcia were having the time of their lives as Vulcan flew them to their old stomping grounds.

He landed in a small, empty section of the Military Bastion. Taahnn instantly pointed out the remaining Hunting Planes, with their wooden noses and metallic wings, which had been left behind. While he and Illeera figured out how they worked, Taka said to the others, "We need these Hunting Planes to be distinct and unique to each of us. That way, we won't accidentally attack each other." After a few relatively bad ideas, Relcia suggested, "We could carve figureheads onto the front of the planes. Since we're defending the monsters, they could be in the shape of monsters."

It was settled rapidly. Each of the gang chose a Plane and began to carve a monster's head out of them. Hydra had taught them how to carve things in wood, and she had always said that carving should come from the heart. Thus, each monster rapidly took shape as everyone carved carefully and confidently.

Illeera had carved a Qurupeco, perfect for her colorful personality. Mylie's was a Barroth, funnily enough. Taahnn's Hunting Plane took the shape of a Diablos (Fitting, for his temper at least, Taka chuckled silently), and Relcia's was a Nargacuga. Taka ended up carving a Gobul. _Wow. I'm just letting these Leviathans haunt me forever. ... But if it's from the heart, I can't really complain. I must really resemble the Gobul, personality-wise._

Only half an hour later, the group of five and their Hunting Planes were ready to rumble. The other hunters must have already left in pursuit of the Taltaria already, so there was no time to dawdle. Taka, however, took the opportunity to say a quick goodbye to Vulcan.

"I WILL see you again," he determinedly told the Rathalos, "no matter what." Vulcan briefly nuzzled Taka. _Do not worry, Taka._ he growled softly. _When you return, I will be waiting for you. And then we will tell the people of Mediatas Village the truth._

Taka smiled and stroked Vulcan's scaly head, proud of his friend and determined to be victorious for his sake. "Together," he said, voice demonstrating his feelings of love and pride for the King of the Wyverns.

-.-.-.-.-.

**And off they go... off to save the God of the Skies.**

**You can see Warlaros on my Deviantart account, if you so wish.**

**Review please, and Chapter 14 will come soon!**

**TRIVIA: I've given Warlaros the Latin name ****_Dracovolans daemonia_****, which basically means "demonic flying dragon". Fitting, don't you think?**


	14. Approach of the Sky God

**At last, the moment is at hand - it's time for Taka and the gang to save the God of the Skies.**

**Incidentally, you can check out the Taltaira on my Deviantart account.**

**And without any further ado, I give you - the second-last chapter of MHD!**

-.-.-.-.-.

Five hunters flew through the clouds, toward the Ruined Island. After a few tries, they had managed to get their Hunting Planes airborne, and were rapidly figuring out the different mechanisms for steering and firing the Mini-Ballistas. A hot-air balloon flew with them, stocked with supplies, ammo, and fuel. It was literally a floating camp.

A screech rang out in somewhere in the far distance. The sound was unlike anything the hunters had heard before. It caused the very air to vibrate, and made the Hunting Planes creak and groan as it shook them too. Up ahead, they could see the silhouette of great wings beating, pushing entire clouds out of their way as they did so. Another screech sounded, as if heralding the appearance of this creature.

Each hunter readied their Mini-Ballista, prepared to spear the Elder Dragon as many times as possible with the harpoon-like weapons. So focused were they that they didn't hear the approach of something behind - many somethings, all armed and ready for the ultimate battle.

-.-.-.-.-.

Taka piloted the _Gobul_ through the sky, struggling with the steering mechanism. Lucky that Taahnn had figured out how the Hunting Planes worked - Taka could barely steer the darned thing.

Behind him, he knew that three others were following him. Mylie was on the _Barroth_, Relcia on the _Nargacuga_, and Taahnn on the _Diablos_. Illeera was piloting an airship carrying various supplies, with her Plane, the _Qurupeco_, resting on board. If one person ran out of fuel, she would take their place as they replenished their ammo and fuel tank.

Ahead, Taka could see the five enemy Planes come into view. He immediately grew more focused as he tightened his grip on the Ballista - or tried to. He was forced to keep his hand gripped to the firing control and his prosthetic arm jammed into the steering wheel. _Definitely a two-handed job,_ he thought, miffed.

Then the clouds thinned, and Taka found himself in a vast clearing in the sky. Instantly, he took notice of the amazing Elder Dragon before him. It flapped slowly, strongly, and leisurely, as it had not noticed the hunters yet. Its shelled back was a dark red-black with occasional streaks of navy blue, and the underbelly was colored a pale beige. The tail was as long as its entire body, and its wingspan was particularly immense, covering, Taka guessed, at least a hundred meters or more.

Suddenly, the Taltaira took note of the approaching Hunting Planes, and turned its great, crested head to look behind it. It shrieked in fear and anger as it saw the humans piloting them. _It's realized that the hunters have come to kill it once and for all,_ Taka realized. _For the first time in its long, long life, it is in mortal peril._

The enemy Planes zoomed ahead, already firing their Ballista Ammo. The projectiles, flying at very high speed, embedded themselves in the Taltaira's back and sides. But, tiny as they were in comparison to the Dragon, all it felt were tiny, stinging pricks, like mosquito bites.

Still, the Taltaira saw that the humans were attacking it, and it got annoyed. It ceased flapping and began to spin, wings outstretched. As it whirled faster and faster, it created a huge wind that blasted the Hunting Planes and scattered them. One Plane in particular was almost swatted clean out of the air.

Taka and his friends increased their speed, streaking toward the battle. While Taahnn, Mylie, and Relcia ambushed the shocked hunters, Taka sped onward, bringing the _Gobul_ to a stop next to the Sky God's head. He saw its great eye widen as it took in the sight of a human piloting a vessel with a monster-shaped figurehead.

"I'm on your side!" Taka screamed as loud as he could. "My friends and I are trying to help you!" The Taltaira seemed to understand.

_I see,_ it half-rumbled, half-shrieked. _You are the human that is said to bring peace amongst humans and monsters. I am glad that you have come to help me._ With a mighty scream, it increased its speed, leaving the _Gobul_ spinning in its wake.

By now, the five hunters had figured out that Taka and his friends were their enemies. Although, why other hunters would want to defy them and their mission, they couldn't figure out for the life of them. They each pulled away from the Taltaira and went after the five unfamiliar Planes. It was only then that they noticed the monster figureheads engraved on them. What was going on?

Taka, despite his struggles with the steering device, managed to dodge a speeding Ballista Ammo in the nick of time. He marveled at the _Gobul_, which seemed to slip stealthily through the air currents as it flew. He did a tight U-Turn and began to pursue his attacker, who looked like a female hunter wearing a full set of Hypnocatrice armor.

Meanwhile, Taahnn and Mylie were engaged in a dogfight with two other hunters, each covered in Gravios armor. Mylie's _Barroth_ charged headlong through the sky, directly at one of the Hunting Planes, just like its namesake. The _Diablos'_s great, carved horns butted through a fierce headwind with ease as it chased the other.

Before long, however, Taahnn's aircraft started to run out of steam. He noticed this and sped back toward the Airship where Illeera and a refueling station were waiting. Just before he landed, Illeera jumped into the cockpit of the _Qurupeco_ and joined the fray, assisting Mylie who now had her hands full with two opponents. As Taka madly fired at the Hypnock hunter's Plane, he admired the _Qurupeco'_s flight style - elegantly gliding and using the wind to its advantage, no matter which way it blew.

That tiny distraction was enough to change Taka's entire situation. The _Gobul_ faltered, and his quarry suddenly turned around and fired a single Ballista Ammo, which managed to snap off a part of the _Gobul'_s landing gear. Taka frantically put all of his efforts on the Plane as it went into a spin.

Out of nowhere, the _Nargacuga_ screamed into view and scored three direct hits on the Hypnock hunter's craft before she could shoot Taka down. When Taka steadied his Hunting Plane, he saw Relcia flash him a quick smile before darting away to finish the enemy off. Her plane was quick, agile, and fluid, just like the Pseudowyvern it was named after.

Soon, the _Nargacuga_ successfully brought down the enemy Plane. Taka saw, with only a small pang of pity, the hunter panickedly trying to get the Hunting Plane up again as it spiralled down into the clouds below. Breathing a sigh of relief, he went to help Relcia, who was now being chased by two other Hunting Planes.

The Taltaira wasn't sleeping through this, of course. It buffeted the Planes with great gusts from its wings, causing everyone to focus entirely on keeping their Hunting Planes straight. It momentarily disappeared into the clouds, and one of the hunters fighting with Mylie and Illeera screamed in anger as he saw the Elder Dragon getting away.

Then, with a huge screech, the Taltaira erupted from the clouds in another spin, this time with its wings held tightly against its great body. Taka and his friends barely managed to get out of the way before it smashed into the other Hunting Planes. Two fell from the sky and the other two limped back to their airship for repairs and refueling.

This would have been a great opportunity to attack and finish them off if Taka, Relcia, and Mylie all became low on fuel as well. Luckily, their airship was large enough to fit all of the Hunting Planes on it at once. The five friends finished their preparations just as the enemy hunters finished theirs. It was now only two on four as they all flew back into the aerial battle, minus Relcia, who stayed behind to protect and steer the airship.

However, the odds were equal. The pilot of the other airship started firing its own Ballista Ammo at them from the sidelines. Taka gritted his teeth when he saw this. _Ah, but we have four pilots in battle,_ he thought triumphantly. _They only have three. Plus a giant Elder Dragon on our side. That gives us a massive edge, literally._

The Elder Dragon in question was snapping at the Hunting Planes that buzzed like Bnahabra around its head, firing Ballista Ammo and aiming for the eyes. Fortunately for Taltaira, they all missed and hit its crest and beak instead. That wasn't to say that the shots weren't painful. It shrieked and doubled its efforts to crush the offending vehicles to dust between its teeth.

Taka joined the fray, piloting the _Gobul_ as best as he could and chasing after the two. And at the same time, he was trying to avoid the steel-crushing jaws of the beast he was trying to rescue. _First time next week, I'm taking piloting lessons._

Taahnn flew directly at one of the Planes with the _Diablos' _massive horns, firing the remainder of his Ballista Ammo (he had forgotten to restock on the airship). The good news was that the six Ammo he shot all hit their mark, sending the second-last hunter to a death far below them. The bad news was, the gusts from the Taltaira's wings threw him off balance, and his Hunting Plane's heavy figurehead crashed into the _Gobul'_s rear.

"Oops," Taahnn exclaimed in a shocked whisper. Taka's vessel cracked down the middle and split in two. "Stinking Conga fur," cursed Taka, just before he began to fall to his death. There was no chance the clouds beneath would break his fall - he'd plunge right through them like an overweight Arzuros.

"TAKA!" Illeera screamed from the cockpit of the _Qurupeco_ and Relcia from the airship. Their friend reached the cloudscape and, as predicted, plunged right through it. There was no trace of him.

There was no time to mourn, however. The last Hunting Plane came streaking right for them, shooting Ballista Ammo everywhere in a crazed frenzy. Before the friends could retaliate, the Taltaira shrieked at them. Somehow, they knew what it was saying; it was as if in their grief for the loss of Taka, they momentarily shared his knowledge of the monster language.

_Go, friends!_ the Sky God decreed. _I will take the last hunter, and you can flee to safety! And I will never, ever forget what you have done for me! _The group of four hesitated, then with sullen glances at the spot where Taka disappeared, they turned around and headed back to the Military Bastion.

As they flew, they felt an immense chill run up and vibrate their spines as the Taltaira gave one, long, awesome screech that caused the very air to shift. As the air pressure changed in the space of a few seconds, thunderclouds began to build and lightning flashed. Rain started to pour down on the fleeing pilots.

Only Relcia gave one last look at the scene behind them. Through the haze of grey and black, a lightning bolt crackled and illuminated the sky, framing the Taltaira magnificently as it continued to scream at the top of its mighty lungs. There was no doubt that the only hunter still alive wouldn't be for much longer.

With a sniffle, Relcia turned and followed her friends toward the Barren Desert, where Vulcan was waiting for the good news. _But we don't just have good news,_ she thought sadly. _Before we finish telling him about our adventure, I don't think he'll be as joyful..._

-.-.-.-.-.

Vulcan said nothing when Illeera finished telling him about what had happened in the skies above the Central World. Or at least, everyone was pretty sure that he said nothing - they couldn't understand his language, after all.

They guessed correctly. Vulcan wasn't saying anything. He was simply overwhelmed by the fact that his best friend in all the world, the human who had saved him from certain death, healed his wounds, and helped him learn to fly again, and was destined to bring peace to the monsters and humans of the Central World, was gone. His mind was blank as the sadness slowly worked its way into his heart.

For a moment or two, there was complete silence as the five - four humans and a Rathalos - each grieved to themselves. The only sound was the wind whistling through the artificial canyons of the Military Bastions and the flapping of the odd flag above them. But soon, just as Illeera was about to speak again, another sound reached their ears. It sounded distant, and suspiciously like a squawk.

By instinct, everyone turned to look at the sky above the far wall, in the direction that they had arrived from. Taahnn shaded his eyes and Relcia squinted. The sun made it very hard to see, but there seemed to be... something flying right for them.

"Watch out!" the shriek came without warning. Taahnn, Relcia, and Illeera all ducked, while Mylie dove to the ground and Vulcan jumped to the side. A huge, purple monster suddenly plummeted to the ground with a mighty crash and a squawk of pain.

When the dust cleared, Taahnn removed his hands from his eyes and gasped. Mylie got to her feet cautiously and Relcia gasped. In front of them stood a Gypceros, crest buzzing and rubbery tail thrashing. It was literally hopping mad, jumping up and down, clacking its crest and crowing in anger. No one made a move as it vented its anger on the crash it had just made.

When the venomous Bird Wyvern had stopped thrashing, it calmly began to bash its crest against its hard beak. Knowing what it was doing, Mylie signaled for everyone to cover their eyes. There was an immense, blinding flash of light... And when it cleared, the Gypceros was gone, replaced by none other than Taka.

"I really shouldn't have turned into a Gypceros," he muttered, wincing from the bruises he had gotten from his bad landing. "It was, admittedly, the first flying monster that came to mind, though. Next time, I'll just think of an Amatsumagatsuchi and dazzle you all with-"

Taka's rant was interrupted by Illeera and Mylie, who had simultaneously rushed up and embraced him suffocatingly tightly. It was only when he started gasping for air and waving his arms wildly did they let go. He couldn't help but grin as he saw their relieved and overjoyed smiles.

Taahnn walked over and awkwardly patted Taka on the back, to which he responded with a similar greeting. "No hug from you, I suppose?" Taka asked rhetorically. Taahnn replied with a simple, "I have my pride, you know." And he grinned, unable to keep a straight face. So quickly Taka wasn't even sure if he had moved, Taahnn gave him a brief hug.

That was when Relcia walked over with an unreadable expression on her face. Taka started to say something when she did something he would never had expected in a Fatalis's lifetime - she slapped him in the face.

The *crack!* echoed slightly in the thick silence that had settled. Then Relcia broke it by saying in a deadly whisper, "Do you have any idea how badly you frightened me?" Taka looked both scared and offended, his face turning red. She continued, "Couldn't you have done shown yourself a little earlier, so things wouldn't have to be this way?"

Gritting his teeth, Taka responded, "First of all, Gypceros are hardly the best of fliers. I broke back through the clouds not thirty seconds after you turned tail and flew off. There was no way I could catch up. Second of all -" For the second time in less than two minutes, Taka was abruptly cut off as Relcia leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Despite his better judgement, his eyes closed in contentment. He heard Illeera sniffle with happiness and Taahnn whistle mockingly, but who cared?

When they separated, Taka finished quietly, "Second of all, I have the feeling that you were just kidding." She smiled and replied, "Can't you take a joke?" Chuckling weakly, Taka turned to Vulcan - the only friend that he hadn't gotten a heartfelt greeting from - and was met with a big, sloppy lick to the face, courtesy of his wyvern pal.

"Nice to see you again too, Vulcan," Taka said with a hint of disgust as he wiped himself clean. _I knew you would make it back,_ the Rathalos's voice cracked with emotion. _It didn't matter that you didn't show up right away - I knew in my heart that you were still alive._ Taka smirked. "You don't have to lie, Vulcan. I don't care that you momentarily lost hope for me."

Drawing himself up with all the dignity he could muster (having been hugged, kissed, and licked all in the space of a few minutes, it wasn't a lot), Taka said to all of his friends, "Well.. We did it! We saved the Taltaira, the God of the Skies!" There were wild cheers all around. Vulcan roared and shot a fireball up into the air in triumph.

"Now then," Taka continued, when everyone had quietened. "We have a bigger challenge - convincing the people of Mediatas Village, including the hunters, to end the war between humans and monsters." Vulcan nodded wisely. _You can do it,_ he encouraged. _Anyone who can save the greatest flying beast that ever lived can certainly save the rest of the monsters._

"Thank you for that," replied Taka, then, as an idea wound its way into his mind, he smiled. "But don't think that you're going to sit this one out..."

-.-.-.-.-.

**Who doesn't love a happy ending? Although, this isn't really an ending - we still have one more chapter to get through before MHD comes to a close.**

**So, I'll see you all tomorrow (or the day after that).**

**TRIVIA: My drawing of a Taltaira scaled with a hunter shows that the average human is about one-thirtieth the size of the Taltaira's head. And you all thought Rathalos was the king of the skies...**


	15. Peace to the Central World

**Well, here we are at the end of MHD. This chapter is more or less the epilogue. Short yet happy.**

**Let's finish this up already.**

-.-.-.-.-.

Since the defeat of the Warlaros, the people of Mediatas Village, plus Bronton and Hydra, had been hard at work repairing the new damage to their village. They were almost done, having worked from late morning till twilight. Just as the first villager put down his tool to get some rest, the sound of immense wings beating reached his ears.

He looked up and shouted in surprise and fear when he saw the great wyvern flying toward the village. Other people, curious as to what all the noise was about, exclaimed also and ran for cover. Hydra quickly assessed the situation and drew her Dual Swords and prepared to Demonize them. Bronton readied himself for the attack as well.

After what seemed like days, the Rathalos descended upon the village. No one moved. The second it landed, Hydra and Bronton shouted once and rushed forward, weapons primed and ready to pierce the Flying Wyvern's scales. Just before they struck home, they got a huge shock - jumping down from the wyvern's back was none other than Taka!

They stopped dead as Taka threw himself in front of the Rathalos, forcing them to lower their weapons or else severely injure him. Mylie, Taahnn, Illeera, and Relcia joined him, giving the two hunters an even bigger shock.

By now, the villagers had begun peeking out from their homes in order to see why it was so silent. There were several gasps. Taka suddenly spoke directly to Hydra and Bronton, voice ringing out loud and clear, "You will not touch this Rathalos. He is good. And he is my friend."

The reactions Taka got ranged from skepticism to appalled exclaimations to fainting spells (although he was pretty sure the latter was just overexaggerating). Hydra shook her head and grabbed Taka's arm. "Brother, you are talking nonsense. No human can become a monster's friend - they're too bloodthirsty, and far too large! ... Why am I even telling you this? Stand aside and let me and Bronton do what we're paid to do."

Yet another shock was coming; Taka drew his Longsword, Guan, and said defiantly, "Make me." Even more unexpected was what his friends were doing... They were drawing their weapons as well, supporting Taka and the wyvern! "Mess with him, you mess with me," hissed Illeera. "And the rest of us!" added Mylie, pointedly aiming her Agnablaster at Bronton's head.

By now, a crowd had gathered behind the two hunters. The Village Elder stepped forth, albeit cautiously, and croaked, "What is this outrage? A group of five fine hunters, claiming to be _friends_ with this mindless beast?" Vulcan roared in anger at the inconsiderate insult, and everyone took an involuntary step back at the Flying Wyvern's rage.

Taka forced himself to calm his voice before he spoke. "Elder," he said firmly but not disrespectfully. "We five, plus Vulcan here -" he jerked a thumb at Vulcan, and the Rathalos flashed his fangs in a grin - "have decided that we want this pointless, centuries-long war to end. From what I have seen, other monsters seem to be sick of this war as well - but will only stop fighting if we stop." There was a stunned silence.

At first, no one believed anything Taka was saying. First of all, the words coming out of his mouth were treasonous, and almost guarenteed his exile from the Central World. Second of all, trying to make sense of these words brought one thought to mind - the boy and his friends were clearly insane. _Monsters_, wanting the war to end? Impossible!

And then, slowly and shyly, a little girl no older than five walked out of the crowd and gazed up at Taka's face. There was a frightened shout from the crowd (presumably her mother) but the girl ignored it. Instead, she squeezed past Taka and Illeera and stepped right up to Vulcan. The great wyvern bent down, bringing his massive head to her eye level. For a moment, other than continuous sobs from the girl's mother, nothing happened as the two stared into each others eyes - the girl's, a beautiful hazel, and Vulcan's, a vibrant blue.

Suddenly, without any warning at all, Vulcan bent down even farther until his lower jaw grazed the grass beneath him. The girl climbed up onto him, and the Rathalos took flight. It happened so suddenly that no one had any time to react. Vulcan climbed to fifty feet before the screams and gasps sounded. Even the Elder looked thunderstruck.

No one could do a thing as Vulcan slowly circled the village, the little girl on his back. Only three seconds went by before the child's squeals and giggles of delight began to ring out into the twilit air. Taka couldn't help but smile as the girl continued to laugh happily as Vulcan flew her around and around in soft, gentle circles. Relcia sighed softly and rested her head on Taka's shoulder.

Soon, Vulcan was back there with them, letting the girl slide down his back and tail to reach the ground. She smiled and hugged the wyvern around the neck, to which Vulcan responded with a small lick and a gentle nuzzle. _Wow, this doesn't look like Vulcan at all,_ thought an amazed Taka. _His patience must be endless._

The entirety of the village was speechless by this point. The Village Elder fumbled for a minute or so, trying to find the words to say. Finally, he cleared his throat and rasped, "This is very... unusual behaviour for a wyvern, whom all of us know to be ferocious, merciless killers." Everyone behind him nodded in agreement, then stopped when Vulcan's eyes flashed dangerously.

"What you say must be true, Taka," he continued. "If all monsters are indeed like this - at least, on the inside - then I see no reason to continue to slaughter them. If they are done with war, then I, for one, am ready to take their side." Now even Taka and his friends were speechless.

Everyone, including Vulcan, was completely still as the Village Elder reached into his belt, took out his old carving knife, and dropped it on the ground in front of him. One second passed, and then Hydra followed his lead, letting her Raven Tessen fall to the ground at her feet. Bronton did the same with his Agnaktor Lance, as well as his shield.

Soon, everyone was dropping weapons, knives, and basically any sharp object that they could find on themselves, in a gesture of surrender. Taka's heart swelled with disbelief, hope, and pride. The long, long war, during which almost all Raptorial Wyverns and Elder Dragons had gone extinct, was finally, officially over.

"Now," Taka spoke up when everyone had something at his or her feet. "Whenever anyone is traveling in the Central World for whatever reason, and a giant wyvern or other monster comes crashing through the foliage to tear you apart, you must simply lower your head, drop your arms at your sides, and say quietly, 'The war is over. I leave you in peace.' Or something of that sort.

"Word travels fast amongst the monsters. Eventually, other than the occasional theft of food - which will only happen if a monster is absolutely starving and has no other options - the wyverns, Pelagi, Leviathans, and even Neopterons will leave us all in complete peace. We will treat each other with respect and kindness forever." Then, in a voice as strong as the Taltaira's screech, Taka pronounced, "I declare the war between humans and monsters null and void!"

Wild cheers rang out into Mediatas Village. Hydra embraced Taka, telling him that, even though she had had her doubts, she was with him one hundred percent from now on. Bronton clapped him on the back, nearly making a dent in his Qurupeco armor. Taahnn laughed as Taka went sprawling into Hydra, causing them both to collapse, and then winced as his injured knee gave a jolt. He shifted the stick he used for walking under his arm.

The celebrations went long into the night.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

Mediatas Village was completely normal again, almost as normal as it had been the day before Taka discovered that he was selected to become a hunter. Almost.

With humans and monsters now living in peace, they had begun to enjoy visiting and even living with each other. Soon, it didn't become uncommon to see monsters of all kinds roaming Mediatas Village.

Every day Taka would climb to the highest point in the village (which wasn't that high, but provided a great vantage point) and gaze out at the amalgamation of humans and their monster companions hard at work or simply enjoying the lazy afternoons. The sight always made him feel warm, content, and at peace.

As he was thinking this, two weeks after the end of the war, Relcia silently snuck up behind him and gently grabbed his shoulders. He flinched badly, but didn't do anything more.

"Hello, Taka," she greeted him softly. "Nice day, isn't it?" Taka nodded and smiled, but was certain that she didn't come up here just to comment on the weather. This was confirmed when she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I'm proud of you. You know that?" Taka's smile widened slightly as he replied, "It wasn't just me who did this, you know."

Relcia laughed, the gentle sound music to Taka's ears. She leaned a little closer to him, their noses almost touching. "You led us. You convinced us to believe in you when you first told us about your friendship with Vulcan."

After a pause, she abruptly said something that Taka found infinitely more uncomfortable: "It's been so long since the last time it was just the two of us..." With a small gulp, Taka once again summoned his courage and responded, "I've kind of missed it." Relcia smiled right back at him and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his. For a few moments, it really just was the two of them.

Nearly the second after they broke apart, Vulcan came soaring in to meet them. _Hey, love-Bird-Wyverns!_ he called out jokingly. _I'm in the mood for a nice, juicy hunter - I'm just kidding! I'm going hunting for Aptonoth, if you two want to come with me?_ Taka translated for Relcia, who cheerfully accepted the offer.

The two friends climbed onto Vulcan's back, and the Rathalos quickly took off. When they were well over the Idyllic Ocean, and Mediatas Village was just a speck in the distance, Relcia leaned over and whispered in Taka's ear, "I think being with you is starting to rub off on me. ...I understood everything Vulcan just said to you."

Taka's heart swelled at this news. It showed how close they really were becoming. "I don't think I've told you this yet, but... I love you, Relcia." Her reply was a simple smile and kiss on the cheek. That was answer enough for Taka.

The two of them watched the landscape below slowly change as the King of the Skies leisurely led them toward another adventure. One that they would all share together.

**THE END**

-.-.-.-.-.

**I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thanks to Kyroshiro for reviewing pretty much every chapter.**

**And so I end with - farewell, and many great good-byes, until my next fanfic!**

**TRIVIA: This isn't the end for Taka and his friends - Monster Hunter Destiny: Chronicle is coming soon!**


End file.
